They Died 2021

57 THEY DIED 2021 Q UEEN’S COUNSEL Velma Hylton, who served as chief prosecutor in two Caribbean islands, has been lauded by jurists as a trailblazing lawyer who challenged traditional stereotypes of female attorneys and who was a warrior in the courtroom. Hylton, who was a former deputy director of public prosecutions in Jamaica, died on Saturday morning. She was 84. Retired Court of Appeal Judge Clarence Walker, who recalled working alongside Hylton when they were prosecutors in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, described her as a force who defence lawyers were never anxious to face. “She always prepared her cases properly and presented themwith vigour. She was strong, she was good,” Justice Walker told The Gleaner . Retired Supreme Court Judge Lennox Campbell said Hylton was an amazing fighter, both as a prosecutor and an advocate in private practice. “She stood out in an era that was dominated by her male colleagues,” Justice Campbell said. Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn dubbed Hylton a legend during her years as a prosecutor in a male-dominated arena where the bar was exceptionally high. Llewellyn expressed condolences, on behalf of her office, to the family of the late luminary. Hylton was sent on secondment to Grenada as lead prosecutor in the famous Maurice Bishop murder case and was later appointed director of public prosecutions in the Eastern Caribbean island. After leaving Grenada, she went to St Kitts where she was appointed resident puisne judge for the Eastern Caribbean Courts. On retiring from that job, Hylton travelled to The Bahamas where she was appointed director of public prosecutions. On her return to Jamaica, she went into private practice . Hylton was controversially appointed in 2014 to serve as one of the commissioners on the West Kingston Commission of Enquiry into the May 2010 security operation that ousted now- convicted Tivoli Gardens mobster Christopher Coke. But she declined the appointment following resistance by the parliamentary Opposition over comments she had made at a 2002 enquiry into violence in West Kingston. In stepping down, Hylton said the enquiry was very important to Jamaica “and should not be hampered by politics and petty distractions”. While serving as a lawyer at the 2002 enquiry, Hylton had reportedly said she could not understand why the security forces could not shoot women and children if they were being used as shields by criminals. -Barbara Gayle P U B L I S H E D D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 2 1 Velma Hylton hailed as a warrior in the courtroom