Latest update November 29th, 2024 1:00 AM
CCJ hails late Justice Chang as “a true champion of the law”
Tributes continue to poor in for former Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang, S.C., C.C.H., who passed away Saturday after losing his battle with cancer.
The late former Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang, S.C, C.C.H
In a statement issued yesterday, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Adrian Saunders, expressed that he is saddened at the passing of Justice Chang who he knew for almost 50 years. Justice Saunders reminisced that he and Justice Chang were both students at the Law Faculty of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill.
Justice Saunders said, “Ian’s passion for the law, for legal argument, for interrogating the most esoteric nuances of the law is legendary. It was no surprise to me that he ultimately achieved high judicial office in his native Guyana. He has to his name, several outstanding judgments that are indelibly recorded in the law reports.”
He continued, “These judgments span an impressive range of subject areas, again demonstrating the breadth of his knowledge of the law and his utter devotion to it. He has made an important contribution to the development of Guyanese and Caribbean jurisprudence. The judicial and legal profession in Guyana has lost a true champion of the law.”
The CCJ President added that Justice Chang will sadly be missed, and on behalf of the CCJ, expressed condolences to his family and the judiciary of Guyana.
The Judiciary and Magistracy also said it was saddened by the passing of Justice Chang, who it described as a true son of the soil.
President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders
In a press statement, the Supreme Court of Judicature said, “Justice Chang served his profession and fellow Guyanese with great honour and integrity. His was a life of service to the nation. He was respected for his phenomenal legal intellect and was a fountain of legal knowledge which he readily shared. Justice Chang’s death will undoubtedly leave a void in the justice system and with colleagues within the legal fraternity whose lives he impacted.”
The Bar Association of Guyana said that for many of its members, Justice Chang will fondly be remembered simply as “Chief.” The Bar Association said that Justice Chang made law his life, which is a testimony of his dedication in, and to the law.
“His love for the law, was one he demonstrated and shared with all of us who had any opportunity to have an interaction with him. This affection for the law, was revealed and communicated in words, thoughts and actions which can be described as “Chang style”. We of the Bar Association know that his death is a loss of a friend and a mentor. His death is therefore a loss both for the profession as well as the judiciary. In death, we remember and reflect on the life. For Chang, S.C., his life will live on in the memories of us at the Bar, together with the volumes of his written decisions.”
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C described Chang as one of the great legal minds and illustrious sons of the Guyana Bar. “He has left us a legacy, particularly at the criminal bar. He was one of my first mentors from whom I learnt a great deal. I am grateful for having had the opportunity of working with him,” the DPP added.
Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall said that Justice Chang was truly dedicated to the law.
In a lengthy Facebook post Nandlall expressed, “Personally, I know of none who worshipped more dedicatedly at the altar of the law than him; neither do I know a more voracious reader of the law than him.”
Nandlall also said that although Chang rose to the pinnacle in his profession, he remained unusually humble and exceptionally accessible.
“He was special. His pedigree does not come frequently. The void that he has left will perhaps not be filled in my lifetime,” the former Attorney General stated. Justice Chang served as one of the nation’s Chief Justices from 2006 until his retirement in 2016, when he went into private practice. He also served as a Judge of the Court of Appeal and with distinction in the Chambers of the DPP for over two decades.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Fastest growing economy and an empty stadium
…Peeping Tom Kaieteur News- It’s a classic Guyanese tale, really. You live in the fastest growing economy in the... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
