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Sir Darnley Arthur Raymond Alexander was born on the 28th January, 1920, at Castries, to the late Lucy and Pamphile Joseph Alexander (MBE).
He received his formal education at the Vieux Fort Boys' School from 1927-1929 and won a government scholarship to St. Mary's College in 1930. At the age of 18, Darnley was employed as Junior Master at St. Mary's from 1937. In 1938, Darnley travelled to the University of Cambridge in London to read for a degree in Law.
With the outbreak of World War II, he was evacuated to the University of Wales where he received his law degree in 1942 and was called to the famous Middle Temple bar later that year. After a short spell of legal practice in England he returned to St. Lucia and was transferred to Jamaica as Crown Counsel and Legal Draftsman in 1944. He later took up an appointment in the Turks and Caicos islands where he served as Resident Magistrate. He also served on the Legislative Council and various Boards, reaching the rank of Acting High Court Judge before taking up appointment in Western Nigeria in 1956.
Sir Darnley was married to Mildred in 1943 - a British Guianese student - and out of this union came two children Michael and Margaret.
Sir Darnley was made Legal Draftsman from 1956 to 1960 and later went on to become Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice in Nigeria. He was elevated to High Court Judge of Lagos State Judiciary in 1964 and went on to become Chief Justice of the southeastern state of Nigeria in 1969, where he laid the foundations of its judiciary. Sir Darnley became a Commander of the British Empire (C.B.E) in 1962 and was later knighted by Her Majesty the Queen.
After the Coup d'etat of July 1975, Sir Darnley was promoted to Chief Justice of the newly formed Federal Republic of Nigeria and retired in 1979. Upon his retirement he was made Chairman of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission where he served until late 1988.
Although he was not a Nigerian, Sir Darnley undertook the task of reforming Nigerian Law with tremendous zeal and ability. He was also a highly respected member of the Body of Benchers - the highest Body in the legal profession - and was elected Chairman between 1977 and 1978.
Darnley Arthur Raymond Alexander received many awards for his outstanding work in the legal field, among them includes Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR), and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). The degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) Honoris Causa was conferred on Sir Darnley by the University of Maiduguri on the 4th of February 1989, in appreciation of his dedicated contribution to the development of the judicial system in Nigeria.
Though he resigned as Chairman of the Law Reform Commission in 1988, he still continued to serve as a consultant in the Federal Ministry of Justice until his death on 12th February 1989. |
