20 November 2007, Kingstown, St. Vincent, Methodist Church Hall. Dame Bernice Lake delivered a rousing lecture entitled, Strengthening the Nation: Deepening the Democratic Process, to an attentive audience of Vincentian citizens hungry for constitutional insight and advice on their 28th Anniversary of Independence as a sovereign nation.

Dame Bernice Lake, QC

An impressive cross-section of Vincentian society attended, including politicians, physicians, judges, other thought-leaders, and democratically mindful working men and women representing most sectors of the economy. After the lecture was delivered, several individuals came forward and lifted their heads to the microphone in the hall to ask inspired questions and offer congratulatory comments regarding the subject content and constitutional advice. One woman asked pointedly, “Where have you been and how might you help us with our constitutional review process?” Clearly, Dame Bernice struck a resonant chord with her St. Vincent Independence Lecture. In fact, the spectrum of accolades included descriptions such as erudite, passionate, feisty, great lucidity, scholarly - attacked our senses, and other offerings of humble appreciation for her work and contributions to new ideas.

Specifically, the hour-long lecture reviewed the political and constitutional history of the region. Further, she taught, “. . . We in the Caribbean need to fashion a new modality of constitutional governance relevant to our size and intimacy of purpose: A modality which puts the general will and common good to the forefront, instead of the fortunes of individual political lives; a modality which invests our legislatures with more effective oversight of the administrative executive.” The lecture offered detailed recommendations and sage advice, as acknowledged by the vocal attendees’ remarks. Before the hall was even emptied that evening, those in attendance made a rousing call to air the lecture on local television in hopes the lecture might be wholly disseminated throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines. By early morning, a local business sponsor had already arranged for a timely broadcast of the videotaped lecture. Given the intensity of the response, it appeared that sponsorship of a radio or television rebroadcast would likewise inspire listeners or viewers here in Anguilla, as well.

Dame Bernice captivated the audience throughout a very long evening, as she stalwartly stood at the podium, then conscientiously answered questions and expounded on the lecture topics. Notably, she had arrived at the hall around 6:00 pm, and it was long after 9:00 pm when she left the meeting in hopes of a late supper and some needed rest. However, her evening had only begun, as a number of inspired listeners later appeared at the hotel and crowded around her late supper table for additional conversation and discourse

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