Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 15, 2023 (SKNIS): Attorney-General, the Honourable Garth Wilkin paid tribute to the late Sir S. W. Tapley Seaton GCMG, CVO, KC, JP, LLD during a Special Sitting of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court on Friday, July 14, at the CUNA Caribbean Conference Center, Fortlands, Basseterre.
Being the first speaker to address the Court, AG Wilkin spoke fondly of the late Sir S.W.Tapley Seaton saying that his memory and his contributions to the development of St. Kitts and Nevis will never be forgotten and that he will be remembered by the tens of thousands of Kittitians and Nevisians throughout the world and particularly by the many who he has impacted personally during his life’s journey. “He will forever hold a special place in my heart,” he said.
H.E The Late Sir S.W. Tapley Seaton, GCMG, CVO, KC, JP, LLD, Governor-General
Sir S.W. Tapley Seaton KC during his career served as President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association, President of the OECS Bar Association, Attorney-General and Governor-General of the Federation.
Attorney General Wilkin thanked the late statesman “on record, posthumously, for all he has done for [St Kitts and Nevis].”
“Sir Tapley KC, then QC, led my call to the Bar many moons ago. On that day, he implored me to serve the Bar respectfully, to be excellent and to give my best to the profession. Then, a few months ago, he signed me in as Attorney-General in his capacity as Governor-General. He similarly gave me wise counsel and told me, and I quote, “If you ever need any advice, I am a phone call away”.
Attorney-General Wilkin also spoke about Sir Tapley KC’s legacy as Attorney-General.
“Sir Tapley’s legacy as Attorney-General, in my estimation, lives most impactfully through his first major task as a young Attorney-General, our 1983 Constitution, which has survived 40 years of trials and tests; and the economically impactful Citizenship Act, 1984, which birthed the Citizenship By Investment industry,” he said. “As the Attorney General’s Office seeks to improve on both of those documents, Sir Tapley’s memory will remain with us and as we seek to ingrain civic education into our society, Sir Tapley’s impact will play a major role in that endeavour.”
He noted that the late Sir Tapley Seaton KC gave exemplary service to the country and people of St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Me Lady, not only was Sir Tapley KC a legendary statesman, having served his beloved Federation as its first Attorney-General after independence and then its fourth Governor-General, but he contributed significantly to the work of the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society,” said AG Wilkin. “The Council of the Society benefited from his vast experience as an attorney and as a person knowledgeable about the history of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Sir Tapley Seaton GCMG, CVO, KC, JP, LLD, who died on June 29, 2023, served as the Federation’s first Attorney-General after Independence from 1983-1995 and its fourth Governor-General of St Kitts and Nevis from 2015-2023. His State Funeral will be held on Thursday, July 20, 2023, in Basseterre.
