The Eulalie Byron Law Library is Now A Reality

A long-held vision of His Excellency Sir S. W. Tapley Seaton came to fruition on Tuesday 14th December 2021 when a brand-new state of the art Law Library was officially inaugurated as part of the Opening Ceremony of the Sir S. W. Tapley Seaton Annex to the Sir Lee Llewellyn More Judicial and Legal Services Complex. This was a crowning moment in the provision of noteworthy literary facilities for ease of access by the local legal fraternity as well as other citizens.

Sir Tapley had been an advocate for the establishment of such a facility in the wake of the 1982 fire that had destroyed the original courthouse building and public library. He had also chaired a special committee that had been established to spearhead the restoration of the legal services complex following the fire.

Ms. Eulalie Byron (in whose honour the Law Library was now being named as part of the ceremony) is known to have been the first black appointee to the position of librarian in the State of St. Kitts-Nevis and Anguilla and served from the early 1960s to the early 1980s. She is reputed to have voluntarily come out of retirement to assist with the rebuilding of public library services following the destruction by the afore-mentioned fire. She is also known to have used her network of international and regional connections (UK and the Caribbean) to harness the resources required to restore the library services to their former glory.

While delivering the Feature Address at the ceremony, Attorney General Byron expounded on the merits of the new addition to the support services being offered by the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs:

“It is [] the first specialized Public Library in the Federation and for this we are duly proud. With the advent of this Library, judges, magistrates, practitioners, litigants in person, students and the general public will be able to utilize the available resources. Online search engines, updated law journals and various specialized law books will all be available in the library. There will also be a reading room [], dedicated to persons who wish to sit quietly and conduct research.

A trained Librarian is already on staff. [] She has laid the groundwork and is ready to have the library fully operational. So, at this juncture, it is envisioned that our law students (CFBC and those pursuing online courses) will be able to utilize the services of the library to enhance their learning and research capabilities. The librarian and support staff will also be on hand to give assistance when requested.”

The President of the St. Kitts Nevis Bar Association Mr. Garth Wilkin who was invited to deliver Remarks described the new law library as “an appreciated addition to [the] legal profession….. a game changer for many persons in the profession”

The Prime Minister Hon Dr. Harris in making his Remarks also spoke glowingly regarding the law library indicating that it represents a jewel in the crown of the legal infrastructure that will benefit the legal fraternity and all other interested persons.

Of great significance was the role played by experienced law librarian Professor Velma Newton CBE, SCM who is the Officer-in-Charge, Caribbean Law Institute Centre and Regional Director of the Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) Project. She was instrumental in facilitating the procurement of large volumes of the literary stock of the library. She delivered Remarks at the ceremony via a virtual platform, extending commendations to the Government and people of the Federation on the achievement of the new facility and Law Library.

The Eulalie Byron Law Library is expected to undergo further build out of both physical and digital infrastructure over the course of the next few months into 2022.