INTRODUCTORY REMARKS AT THE 2ND BIANNUAL DR J S ARCHIBALD, QC MEMORIAL LECTURE
BY MS JACQUELINE DALEY, PRESIDENT OF THE BVI BAR ASSOCIATION
BVI INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION CENTRE, 31 MAY 2017
It is such a pleasure to see you all assembled here today for the 2nd Biannual Dr J S Archibald, QC Memorial Lecture.
There are some things that unequivocally go well together. These pairings are seamless, effortless and are seldom challenged. In the everyday context they include things like peanut butter and jelly, chocolate….with just about anything and for the Caribbean people in the audience, or those of you in the room from foreign lands but who have immersed yourselves in the Caribbean cultural experience, I would also include the delicacy of the perfect marriage of rum and coconut water.
This evening I have the honour of introducing you to a new, but very obviously perfect pairing, in the form of a partnership between the BVI Bar Association and the BVI Arbitration Centre in bringing you the 2nd instalment of the lecture series to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr J S Archibald QC.
The decision of the BVI Bar Association to collaborate with the International Arbitration Centre in sponsoring this lecture was an easy one because both organisations have been formed through the hard work and dedication of Dr Archibald.
Over 40 years ago, Dr Archibald, QC had the insight to stand as one of 8 persons to act as founding fathers of the BVI Bar Association. He must have liked the number 8, as interestingly, he would go on to serve an 8 year term as the Association’s President from 1986 to 1994. This has been and in all likelihood will continue to be, the longest term of any President of the BVI Bar Association.
Dr Archibald was always an active and vocal member of the BVI Bar Association. During his professional life he was recognised as a masterful advocate in the court room and a fearless defender of justice but he understood and appreciated that justice should not be confined only to the courtroom but should instead be accessible via various forums.
That ability to recognise the importance of allowing for different avenues for dispute resolution would make him the obvious choice to act as Chair for the International Arbitration Focus Group that was established by the BVI’s Financial Services Commission in 2011. The work of this Focus Group, under Dr Archibald’s meticulous leadership, would result in the enactment of the Arbitration Act and the creation of the BVI International Arbitration Centre, where we all sit today.
Dr Archibald was an educator. He may not have taught in the class room but many distinguished jurists will regale you with anecdotes of lessons learned from him via correspondence, in his chambers, in the court room or in circumstances such as these. He gave many a lecture and always sought to educate and uplift both members of the general public and members of the legal professional.
In fact, the Focus Group intended to have an annual lecture series to educate the public on the benefits of arbitration and Dr Archibald was slated to give the very first lecture.
Sadly, he was taken from us before the lecture was delivered.
So we gather here to commemorate Dr Archibald QC in a way that we believe he would have loved. This lecture series allows for the dissemination of information and the promotion of alternative dispute resolution through arbitration and will be followed by the coming together of colleagues and friends over canapés…maybe even a little chocolate.
As I said, some things unequivocally go well together.
I hope you enjoy this evening and I look forward to seeing many of you in 2 years’ time to yet again celebrate the 80 year life span of Dr J S Archibald, a stalwart and visionary of the legal professional