"An invaluable contribution to scholarship ... It is a remarkable document."
Professor Sir Kenneth O. Hall
"An important contribution to Caribbean women's history ... and to the field of legal history. Of course it's a major contribution to Guyanese history." Professor Bridget Brereton
H.E. Professor Sir Kenneth O. Hall, Professor Bridget Brereton, and The Hon. Madam Justice Roxane George (L-R)
On April 7, 2024, an online book launch was held for Dr. Joanne Collins-Gonsalves's new book titled: Iris de Freitas Brazao, Legal Luminary and Trailblazer: Caribbean, Canada, Wales, England 1896-1989. It was held via Zoom, catering to an international audience. The distinguished panel included:
His Excellency The Most Honourable Professor Sir Kenneth O. Hall, Former Governor General of Jamaica and Former Principal and Pro Vice Chancellor of The University of the West Indies
The Honourable Madam Justice Roxane George, Chief Justice of Guyana (Ag.)
Professor Bridget Brereton, Professor Emerita, The University of West Indies, St. Augustine
Mrs. Judith Toppin, Former Officer in Charge, Sidney Martin Library, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus
Author - Dr. Joanne Collins-Gonsalves, Managing Director, Historical Research International Inc.
Professor Sir Kenneth Hall noted that "I value the book [on Iris de Freitas Brazao] as a historian from a variety of perspectives. Not the least of which are the copious footnotes and the context in which the subject was placed. Because, as we delve into the book we are exposed to the history, culture, race relations, gender relations, and all the issues of the time." He further stated that: "It is a remarkable document ... [Dr. Collins-Gonsalves] pursued this subject with meticulous research, the footnotes, creating and setting the environment was for me a tremendous piece of historical work, and then documenting the contributions of the legal luminary in the landscape - across continents across time ... Iris influencing the way the society in Guyana and across the Caribbean evolved during the transition from colonialism to independence. My suggestion, then is that this is not simply a biography, it is a scholarly biography. It is a testament to the author, of the power of storytelling to preserve and honor the legacy of trailblazers."
Prof. Sir Hall went on to state that Guyana has a tradition of excellence which in some respects is unparalleled in the Caribbean. The book highlighted Iris's "legacy of resilience, the commitment to justice which Iris's whole character and career demonstrated and perhaps more importantly, her pioneering spirit. She was not deterred by the obstacles in her way, she simply pursued excellence, inclusion, and justice."
Professor Bridget Brereton remarked "I first knew Joanne when she was a Ph.D. student at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine and while she was there she certainly won a reputation for being a very industrious researcher, having a very strong work ethic and having strong analytical as well as research skills. So I was delighted that she was working on the book [on Iris de Freitas Brazao]."
"I think it's an important contribution to Caribbean women's history ... and to the field of legal history. Of course it's a major contribution to Guyanese history."
Professor Brereton concluded by stating that "I want to congratulate Joanne on the research effort, the dedication for researching and writing this impressive book. I'll just conclude by saying that I think this book deserves a very wide readership."
The Hon. Madam Justice Roxane George in her remarks stated that "this captivating and informative book not only chronicles the life of this inspirational woman lawyer, but is rich in its historical content, providing insights into Ms. Brazao’s Portuguese history and ancestry, her family, and the societies in which she lived.
Justice George further noted that in “emulating Ms. Brazao, we must be in the forefront of championing what is right, what is ethical and what is just. We must lead in order to accelerate the progress we would like to see and thereby inspire inclusion, thereby inspire the inclusion that allowed Ms. Brazao to leave an indelible mark on the history of Guyana."
Mrs. Judith Toppin who excellently chaired the book launch, in her closing remarks stated “I really want to take this opportunity as we conclude, to recognize the exemplary scholarly research that Dr. Collins-Gonsalves has undertaken. You've really left no research stone unturned, and you've investigated every aspect of Iris's life. Professor Sir Hall mentioned the detailed footnotes and bibliography, I too was quite impressed at yours, this scholarly research that you undertook, and I congratulate you for your approach."
Mrs. Toppin went on to state that "I think you have instilled in us as Caribbean people, the importance of delving into our biographical information on some of the other persons now past who have made a significant contribution that we know nothing about. I think that it should inspire us to look a little further in that area, and maybe even our educational institutions should take this on board and see how best we can move forward with this. I conclude by again offering you my thanks and congratulations on this."
The full recording of the book launch is available online via the Historical Research International's YouTube page.
About the Book
Iris de Freitas Brazao has the distinction of being the first female lawyer in the Commonwealth Caribbean, having been called to the Bar in England at The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in 1929. Born in Barbados, she spent her early years in British Guiana (now Guyana) and returned to British Guiana to serve in key groundbreaking legal posts throughout her life. Academically, Iris attended the University of Toronto briefly in 1918 before moving to Aberystwyth University in Wales, then on to the University of Oxford.
Book Availability
This book is available worldwide and can be accessed via the following links, among others:
Profiles of the Panelists
His Excellency the Most Honourable Professor Sir Kenneth Hall, has served as the Governor-General of Jamaica; Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of The University of the West Indies; and Deputy Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. He holds both a Ph.D. and a M.A. in History from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. Professor Sir Hall has had a long and illustrious career in academia. He has following university posts included:
Vice President of Academic Affairs and Faculty Dean at the State University of New, York (SUNY), Old Westbury
Professor of American Studies at SUNY, Old Westbury
Assistant Provost for Academic Programs at SUNY, Albany
Assistant Provost, SUNY, Oswego
Professor of History at SUNY, Oswego
Faculty Research Associate, Syracuse University among other posts.
Professor Sir Hall is renowned for his contribution to the advancement of the Caribbean regional integration process, and has published extensively in this area including the books titled Integrate or Perish! Perspectives of Leaders of the Integration Movement and Caribbean Integration: From Crisis to Transformation and Repositioning among many others. He is the First Chancellor of the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (formerly University College of the Caribbean). He is the recipient of the Order of Jamaica and the Order of the Nation. Professor Sir Hall was conferred with the Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George by Queen Elizabeth 11 and the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit of Spain. Professor Sir Hall is a Professor Emeritus at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona; Honorary Distinguished Fellow of the Mona School of Business and Management, the Patron of the Farquharson Institute of Public Affairs, and Patron of the P.J. Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy. He continues his academic writing and publishing pertinent works on Caribbean regional integration.
The Hon. Madam Justice Roxane George holds the prestigious position of Chief Justice of Guyana (Ag.). She has served as Director of Public Prosecutions acting and Puisne Judge and is substantively a Justice of Appeal in Guyana. Like Iris de Freitas Brazao, Justice George has the distinction of being a graduate of the University of Oxford, where she graduated with a Master’s Degree in International Human Rights Law (with Distinction). She is also a distinguished graduate of the Hugh Wooding Law School where she was adjudged the Most Outstanding Student and the Best Graduating Guyanese student. Justice George comes from a great legal tradition, for her father Justice Kenneth George, served as Chancellor of the Judiciary of Guyana. She has served as President of the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL), and she is a member of the Guyana Association of Women Judges, the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers; the Caribbean Association of Women Judges; the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association; and the International Association of Women Judges.
Within the English speaking Caribbean, Justice George has served as a Facilitator for seminars for the training of magistrates on gender-based violence and women’s human rights. The Hon. Madam Justice George was conferred with Guyana’s national award of Cacique Crown of Honour.
Professor Bridget Brereton is a Professor Emerita of History at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. A distinguished historian, she specializes in Caribbean social history; the history of Trinidad and Tobago; Caribbean historiography; and Women and Gender in the Caribbean. A celebrated historian, Professor Brereton has published several groundbreaking works of history including: A History of Modern Trinidad 1783-1962; Race Relations in Colonial Trinidad (1870-1900); Law, Justice and Empire, The Colonial Career of Chief Justice John Gorrie; and From Imperial College to University of the West Indies: A History of the St. Augustine Campus, among others. She has also edited Volume V of the prestigious UNESCO General History of the Caribbean, The Caribbean in the Twentieth Century.
Professor Bridget Brereton is the first woman to win the prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence for Research, Teaching, and Administration (1996) and she has served as President of the Association of Caribbean Historians from 1994 to 1997 among many other key and noted positions.
Mrs. Judith Toppin holds a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada. With over thirty years of experience in librarianship her focus has been on expanding the role of libraries as centres of research support and librarians as information service providers. Her most recent post at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in Barbados was as Officer in Charge of the Sidney Martin Library (2017 to 2023). She holds certificates of training from Harvard School of Continuing Education in Essential Management skills for Emerging leaders, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians and has also attended the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Immersion Training in Information Literacy Teacher Track. Mrs. Toppin has worked at national and regional organizations and has been instrumental in the establishment of business information units and knowledge centres. Mrs. Toppin is passionate about the transformation of libraries to embrace future development and has written proposal documents outlining revenue generation options which can be derived from library services and spaces. Through consultancies she has advised on and developed information databases and guided the development of specialized Documentation centers. She has written and delivered conference papers and is the author of scholarly journal articles and book chapters.
Mrs. Toppin is a past President of the Soroptimist International of Barbados (2018-19) and has served as FCC councilor for SIGBI, Barbados representative. She is currently a Director on the executive committee of the Soroptimist International of Barbados (2024-25). She is a founding member of the Guyana Heritage Society.
Dr. Joanne Collins-Gonsalves is an Academic Historian and holds a PhD in History. She is the Managing Director of the Historical Research International Inc., a Research Fellow, Advisor (History) and Member of the Board of Advisors of the Farquharson Institute of Public Affairs. Dr. Collins-Gonsalves serves on the Board of the Edmonton Heritage Council, the Advisory Board of the Journal of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society, and the Board of the Rotary Club of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada among other posts.
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