The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

HE held on to a letter from the Bahamas Government for nearly three weeks before responding. His response would ultimately change the course of his life forever. The young, bright attorney was headed to the country to do circuit court in Montego Bay, Jamaica when he got the invitation to work for the Bahamas Government.

Murrio Ducille was facing a bright future. He graduated with honours and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of the West Indies in Cave Hill, Barbados. He went on to gain his Certificate in Legal Education from the Norman Manley Law School in Mona, Jamaica. He had also earned a United Nations Certificate in International Law.

Straight out of law school in 1975, he worked as a Clerk in the Magistrate’s Court in Portland, Jamaica, in charge of criminal prosecutions. He was also a Trustee in bankruptcy and an administrator for all civil litigation in the Parish of Portland. He went on to serve as Crown Counsel in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kingston, Jamaica. There, he represented the State in the Court of Appeal. He was also responsible for preparing and presenting extradition cases between the United States and Jamaica.

His talent did not go unnoticed. By 1978, he was attached to the United Nations legal offices, working in the Treaty Section and the Law of the Sea Secretariat. But the Jamaica Government needed his expertise and in 1982, he was called to serve as Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in Kingston Jamaica.

Two years later, the letter of offer from a neighbouring country came in. The Bahamas was still newly-independent and was recruiting expertise from the region in areas such as law enforcement and education.

“At first when I came to The Bahamas, I came to be interviewed for a position as a Magistrate,” Mr Ducille recalls.

“But with my type of background, the Commission felt I would be better suited as a Prosecutor in the Office of the Attorney General. I enjoyed the sojourn and I enjoyed doing some very good cases in the AG’s office.”

A number of those cases stood out in his mind as he recalled that sojourn. Among them, the case of the rape and murder of 19-year-old Sherise Small. Dwight Henfield, a police officer at the time, Garnet Jones and Dereck Rolle were accused of the deadly assault, and then dumping her body in the Sea Breeze canal. The year was 1987. Mr Ducille prosecuted. The trio received the death penalty at the time but since then, the Privy Council’s ruling that struck down death sentences led to many convicts receiving a life sentence instead.

Mr Ducille worked as a Chief Prosecutor in the Office of the Attorney General until 1993. He was called to serve as Director of Public Prosecutions in Dominica. He went on to serve as a Chief Magistrate in Antigua and Barbuda, where he remained until 1997.

He returned to the shores of The Bahamas in 1997 to set up a private practice, Murrio Ducille & Co in the Bayparl Building on Parliament Street. He still leads the firm as principal and senior counsel today. Many bright legal minds have flourished under his wing. Among them is Krysta Mason-Smith, senior associate. She has been referred to as “little pitbull” in court and even “mini Ducille” in homage to her mentor. She is always determined to ensure that no matter the end result, the interests of her clients are not ignored.

Today, she applauds Mr Ducille as he is set to be officially appointed as Queen’s Counsel during this week’s Call to the Bar at the Supreme Court on February 24.

“There is no dispute that Mr Ducille is well known for his continuous development of our jurisprudence,” Mason-Smith said.

“His work has and continues to shape the laws of our land. Described as a man for all manner of people; genuine, stern but caring; brilliant and a force to be reckoned with by those under his employ, I am directed to express their love, excitement and heartfelt congratulations to him for obtaining this title which they respectfully state is long overdue.”

In addition to his law practice Mr Ducille is the President of the Criminal Bar Association, which is a committee of the Bahamas Bar Association.

He is also known as Justice Ducille. He is currently a Justice in the Court of Appeal in Belize – a position he has held since 2015. This court sits three times a year in March, June and October. Presently, each session lasts three weeks with the first two weeks dedicated primarily to hearing criminal appeals. A panel of three judges presides at any one time upon the hearing of any civil or criminal matter. Justice Ducille currently sits with other judges including: Justice Samuel Awich and Justice Minnet Hafiz, President of the Court of Appeal and a native of Belize.

Mr Ducille has represented both his country of birth, Jamaica and his home country, The Bahamas internationally. He has been the main facilitator at numerous conferences and workshops in the region and in the United States. These events, often sponsored by the University of the West indies in collaboration with the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, served police and prosecutors in carrying out their duties. He also facilitated workshops for US/AID and the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as the Commonwealth Secretariat.

He has served the Bahamian legal community and the community at large as a lecturer at the College of the Bahamas, now the University of the Bahamas from 1984 to 1992.

For young people with aspirations of being a lawyer and even becoming a judge, Mr Ducille’s path is an inspiration and one to follow. He was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, where his parents raised him along with his two brothers and his sister. He attended St Catherine’s Primary School.

While in primary school, we had a trip to visit the Supreme Court,” he shared.

The courtroom that I went into, I saw the judge, and the prosecutor, and I was impressed by what I saw. It helped to shape my path from a very young age. It so happened that later in life I would become a prosecutor in that very same court.”

The young Murrio showed prowess in education, and effortlessly passed his national examinations. He ended up enrolling in the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force, which was a paramilitary academy. There, he learned to fly at an early age, and earned his Private Pilot’s Licence while he was still in high school. The students had access to a Cessna 150, which he enjoyed flying immensely. Even as a young prosecutor, Mr Ducille would still find time to make his way to the airfield and see Jamaica from the sky.

In addition to being an Army and Air Cadet, Mr Ducille enjoyed track and field and cricket, and he learned to speak Spanish.

His path as an attorney began with a Jamaica Government High School Scholarship. He went on to earn a Jamaica Government Law Scholarship, followed by a United Nations/Unitar International Law Fellowship.

“I would say to kids – be disciplined in whatever you do,” he advised, adding his paramilitary training helped him in that regard.

“Engage in extra-curricular activities. Don’t only think about the books. Be quite well-rounded. Do whatever you can to enhance your career path. Play chess, play sports - that’s all a part of it… being well rounded, and being disciplined.”

His title as Queen’s Counsel comes after a lengthy career, contributing to the region and The Bahamas, where he was called to the Bar in 1984. The title of Queen’s Counsel is bestowed upon counsel and attorneys who have made valuable and outstanding contributions to the legal system.

Queen’s Counsel - during the reign of a queen, or King’s Counsel - during the reign of a king, is a lawyer who is a senior counsel in court cases. Technically, they are appointed by the monarch of the country to be one of ‘Her Majesty’s Counsel learned in the law’. The position originated in England. A Queen’s Counsel (“QC”) or Silk or KC, is a highly respected role within the profession as it entitles those awarded the title to charge higher fees to clients and work on more specialist cases. Once bestowed such a title a QC is now considered a member of the inner Bar and their ceremonial dress inclusive of wig, silk robe and special collars, can be differentiated from attorneys who practice at the outer Bar. QC’s also have the privilege of sitting at the inner bench tables in a court room when presenting, and they are expected to be accompanied by junior counsel at all times during court appearances.

“As Queen’s Counsel I don’t think my life will change much,” Mr Ducille said.

“I will just continue to do what I was always doing - getting up early, going to the office do what I have to do… serving my clients the best way I know how.”