Senior Counsel Brynmor Pollard, Sase Narain left matchless legal legacies -AG Nandlall

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Hon. Mohabir Anil Nandlall has hailed the late Mr. Brynmor Pollard, OR, CCH, SC, and former Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Sase Narain, SC, as “legal luminaries” who made unmatched and unbiased contributions to Guyana’s legal fraternity.

The AG made the statement on Friday during a special sitting of the Full Court hosted by the Supreme Court of Judicature in memory of the two legal practitioners.

Mr. Pollard, the AG relayed, was always willing to undertake the most arduous tasks during his legal tenure.

“His exceptional ability poised him for rapid advancement in the Chambers, as well as in the civil service of Guyana. Not surprisingly, in 1970, Bryn, as he was commonly known, was elevated to the dignity of Queens Counsel shortly before we attained Republican status,” the AG said.

Mr. Pollard was also appointed Chief Parliamentary Counsel and had been the authority on legislative drafting, Constitutional, Public Law and related matters in Guyana and the Commonwealth.

Minister Nandlall said Mr. Pollard was among the team that revised the laws which were published as the Ramphal Edition of the Laws of Guyana in 1974. In 1979, he was engaged by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation and seconded to the Caribbean Community in April of that year as legal consultant with responsibility for overseeing the harmonisation of laws within the Caribbean.

“One of his most significant achievements was the harmonisation of the Region’s companies’ law which resulted in Guyana enacting the present Companies Act several years later. It was during that period, that he became a member of a Commonwealth team and assisted in the drafting of the constitution for newly independent Namibia in southwest Africa.

“He was a consummate professional and, as Chief Parliamentary Counsel, he viewed himself as a senior civil servant, unbiased, and prided himself in maintaining a demonstrable aloofness from burning political issues of the day, never allowing any political opinion he may have to cloud his judgement or his intellect,” the AG said.

Mr. Pollard is survived by his four children, including Mr. Andrew Pollard SC, six grandchildren and other relatives.

Meanwhile, reflecting on the Mr. Narain, the AG reminded the Court that he is one of Guyana’s first solicitors admitted to practice in the Colony of British Guiana.

“His 21 years uninterrupted tenure as Speaker would easily qualify him as the longest serving Speaker of a Parliament in the Commonwealth, if not, the world.

“Anyone who has had a fleeting engagement with Mr. Narain would know that he was very candid, he was very frank, he was very outspoken on any given matter. He was regularly criticised for positions that he has taken over the years – never apologised for them, always stood steadfast to his position, always had an argument to justify where he stood on these matters,” AG Nandlall said.

The Attorney General said Mr. Narain served as Chairman of the National Bank of Industry and Commerce for several years and was bestowed with the honour of Senior Counsel for his contribution as a solicitor to the legal profession.

“On behalf of myself, the Law Officers of the State and the Government of Guyana, we offer our deepest condolences to the relatives, the children, the relatives and friends of the two outstanding souls,” the AG said.

Mr. Narain leaves to mourn five sons, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Chancellor of the Judiciary (Ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George numbered among several legal practitioners who reflected on the lives of the legal luminaries.

Mr. Pollard and Mr. Narain died on January 24 and August 25, 2020, respectively.