One of Saint Lucia’s well known jurists, retired Justice Suzie D’Auvergne, was laid to rest Friday, Aug. 29 at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

Justice D’Auvergne was regarded as a pioneer who, in many respects chartered the course for female attorneys in Saint Lucia with a series of firsts in her career.

She was the first Saint Lucian female Magistrate, the first female to hold the position of Director of Public Prosecutions, the first ever Solicitor General and the first Saint Lucian female to be appointed as a judge.

At the ceremony, family, friends, members of the legal fraternity, members of Parliament and well-wishers gathered to celebrate her life.

Justice Rosalyn Wilkinson who befriended Retired Justice D’Auvergne in 2012 said that during their short friendship, she came to appreciate that her late friend was much more than her work.

“As we would say in Grenada, she was generous to a fault as she worked on cause after another.  She had an insatiable appetite for travel, adventure and visited numerous countries around the world throughout her lifetime.” 

The late jurist touched many lives including that of pathologist and Independent Senator Dr. Stephen King. He said she served first as his mentor and then as his friend.

“Suzie embraced me in her court, and she made a young pathologist comfortable and confident as she mentored me as an expert witness.” 

David Cox said he was honored to serve on the Constitutional Reform Commission under the late Justice’s guidance. He said that his admiration for Justice D’Auvergne stemmed from childhood and grew exponentially during the six years the served on the Commission.

“Throughout the life of the Commission, Suzie was determined to be as prudent as possible with the public monies entrusted to her management. Concerned about the image of the commission and conscious of the need to protect it from public ridicule, she would sometimes take unorthodox and even slightly extreme measures to ensure we saved as much money as we could,” he said, “I am heart-broken that she will not be here when the commission’s report is finally discussed in Parliament. I am heartbroken she will not get to know what Saint Lucians thought of all her hard work.”

The retired Justice passed away on August 18.