Kenneth Smith (judge)
{{Short description|Jamaican judge (1920-2009)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Kenneth George Smith
| honorific-suffix = OJ
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| office = Chief Justice of Jamaica
| term_start = 1973
| term_end = 1984
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| predecessor = Sir Herbert Duffus
| successor = Sir Edward Zacca
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|07|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = Clarendon, Colony of Jamaica, British Empire
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|12|21|1920|07|25|df=y}}Who's Who (UK){{nbsp}}[https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U35412 DOI:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U35412]
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| alma_mater = Lincoln's Inn (London)
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| awards = Order of Jamaica (1973)
}}
Kenneth George Smith, OJ, was a Jamaican judge. He was Chief Justice of Jamaica from 1973 to 1984.{{cite news|url=http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Proud-to-be-Jamaican_12168995|first=Kimone|last=Thompson|publisher=Jamaica Observer|title=Proud to be Jamaican|date=August 5, 2012|accessdate=June 12, 2019|archive-date=15 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615004356/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/proud-to-be-jamaican_12168995|url-status=dead}}{{cite news |title=Former Chief Justice Dies |url=http://old.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091223/news/news12.html|date=December 23, 2009 |publisher=Jamaica Gleaner|accessdate=August 19, 2020}}
Early life and education
Smith was born in Chapelton, Clarendon, Jamaica on 25 July 1920. He was the son of Franklin Clifford Smith, Civil Servant, and Clothilda Smith (née Campbell).{{cite magazine|url=http://discoverjamaica.com/snames.htm|publisher=Published by Jamaica Gleaner|title=Jamaican Personalities|accessdate=August 19, 2020}} Smith was educated at Cornwall College, Jamaica and at Lincoln's Inn (London).
Legal career
Smith served as Assistant Clerk of the Courts in the Resident Magistrate's Department 1940-48. He was Deputy Clerk of Courts from 1948 to 1953, and Clerk of the Courts 1953-56. He then left Jamaica for England to pursue legal studies and qualified as a Barrister-at-Law at Lincoln's Inn before returning to Jamaica in 1956.{{cite news|url=https://jis.gov.jm/tribute-hon-kenneth-george-smith-oj-retired-chief-justice-of-jamaica-deceased/|title=Tribute: Hon. Kenneth George Smith|publisher=Jamaica Information Service|accessdate=2020-08-19}} On his return, he re-entered the Government Service as Acting Resident Magistrate for 6 months in 1956. Smith was appointed a Crown Counsel in the Attorney General's Chambers, where he served from 1956 to 1962. In 1962 he was promoted to the post of Assistant Attorney General, serving until 1965. In 1965, he was named a Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court, and in 1970 was elevated to a seat on the Court of Appeal until his appointment as Chief Justice in 1973. He served in that capacity until 1984.{{cite web|url=https://www.supremecourt.gov.jm/content/chief-justices|title=Supreme Court of Jamaica|accessdate=2020-08-16}} Smith was appointed as a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal, Bahamas in 1983, serving in that post until his retirement in 1993.{{cite web|url=https://www.courtofappeal.org.bs/justices.php|title=Justices of Appeal of the Bahamas|accessdate=2020-08-19}}
Personal life
Honors and awards
In 1973, Smith was awarded the Order of Jamaica (OJ), and is therefore styled The Honourable.{{cite news|url=https://jis.gov.jm/information/awards/order-of-jamaica/|title=Members of the Order of Jamaica|publisher=Jamaica Information Service|accessdate=2020-08-19}}
He was a member of the Privy Council of Jamaica, which also confers the right to the prenominal style "The Honourable".{{citation|url=https://opm.gov.jm/1-devon-rd/protocol/how-to-address-members-of-the-privy-council/|title=Office of the Prime Minister of Jamaica|accessdate=2020-08-19}}
References
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{{succession box | title=Chief Justice of Jamaica| before=Sir Herbert Duffus | after=Sir Edward Zacca|years=1973-1984}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Kenneth}}
Category:20th-century Jamaican judges
Category:Chief justices of Jamaica
Category:Members of the Order of Jamaica
Category:Members of Lincoln's Inn
Category:Cornwall College, Jamaica alumni
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