The legal profession mourns the loss of one of its stalwarts, Bernard Celestino De Santos S.C.
Mr. De Santos was one of the leading Senior Counsel in the country and, while he was an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer in every field of practice, his specialty was in the field of criminal law, and more especially in jury trials of the most serious offences.
He was also an expert at cross examination and could often be seen in the courtroom skillfully and patiently breaking down the evidence of witnesses opposing his clients’ cases
Mr. De Santos was also a gifted raconteur and was frequently at the centre of a group of lawyers on the corridors of the Court as he regaled them with stories of cases and judges from days gone by.
He was kind and patient with younger lawyers and he mentored many junior lawyers who were new to intricacies of the profession.
Mr. De Santos’s passing leaves a vacuum in the profession and he will be sorely missed.
The Bar Council extends its deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Bernard De Santos.