Legal fraternity honours late senior counsel Stanley Moore, Rex McKay

The High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana has hosted a special sitting to pay tribute to two late dignitaries: Justice Stanley Moore, SC, and Attorney Rex McKay, OR, CCH, SC.
Delivering remarks at this special sitting on Friday, December 13, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, recognized these veterans for their numerous contributions to the legal fraternity, both locally and regionally.
“Rex McKay had nothing short of an illustrious career in the legal profession, and would have impacted the lives of hundreds of lawyers over his marathon 60 years’ span of practice. His contributions will continue to guide lawyers and future generations in many years to come. The void left will certainly take a long time to fill,” the Attorney General has said of the late Attorney Rex McKay.
“I believe I speak for all lawyers in Guyana as titular head of the bar when I say that we have been exceptionally honoured by the life contributions and legacy of the legal luminary Stanley Moore. On behalf of the legal profession, the Government of Guyana, the Attorney General’s Chambers and personally, I wish to thank Stanley Moore for his exceptional work to the legal profession of the country, and indeed the jurisprudence across the Commonwealth,” the Attorney General said of the late Justice Stanley Moore.

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George also paid tribute to these deceased stalwarts of the bar. In her tribute, the Chief Justice called for current and future counsel to follow in the footsteps of these late dignitaries.
“It is pellucid that those who had the privilege of interacting with these two learned gentlemen are the richer for having the opportunity to do so. We remember our dear departed seniors as lawyers; lawyers incisive, meticulous and thorough. We would wish that young counsel would follow suit and be just as meticulous in their preparation and presentation of cases; for, as we know, this is most helpful to the bench, and assist us in the conduct of trials and timely decision-making,” Chief Justice Roxane George has said.
Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, highlighted that these two deceased veterans would have contributed a combination of over a century of service to the local and regional legal fraternities.
“Together, they contributed over 100 years of combined legal service to both Guyana and the wider Caribbean; and indeed, further afield,” the Chancellor has said.
“It is unfortunate that many young lawyers do not attend these sittings, to hear of the contribution of legal stalwarts and emulate the notable traits of these legal icons in the legal profession. But we take heart that the senior counsel who were present will continue to make indelible contributions, rich contributions, to the legal profession; and assist young counsel coming up, so that they, too, can play a part in this noble profession,” the Chancellor added.
Senior Counsel Stanley Alfred Moore was born on July 1, 1935 to Olive Isabella Walcott-Moore and Llewellyn Cornett Moore.
This legal luminary was called to the Bar on July 26, 1970. He was awarded Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws from the University of London, and was admitted to Guyana’s Inner Bar as a Senior Counsel in 2020. At the time of his passing, he was a partner at the well-known law firm of McKay and Moore of Lot 1 Croal Street, Georgetown, and had practised criminal and civil law.
Moore has left an indelible mark on the jurisprudence of Guyana, Grenada, Montserrat, The Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, Botswana, and Swaziland.
Appointed an acting High Court Judge in 1979, Moore served as Guyana’s Home Affairs Minister under the Linden Forbes Burnham Administration, and as a Member of Parliament from 1981 to 1982.
Moore also served as an acting magistrate in Guyana; as Attorney General in Montserrat, and as a Judge in several Caribbean states.
Following his retirement, he was appointed a Judge in Botswana and in Swaziland, before returning home in 2016 to continue his private practice.
Moore had achieved many notable successes in his career, and despite his age, he still attended court to remain active.
This distinguished jurist, father of Senior Magistrate Alex Moore, leaves to mourn his wife Cheryl Moore, an airline pilot, as well as his children, relatives, colleagues and friends. He died in April 2023.
During his illustrious career, Senior Counsel Rex Mc Kay, who had been appointed Senior Counsel in October 1975, had appeared in many high-profile cases in this country.
Conferred in 2016 with the Order of Roraima – Guyana’s second highest national award – for his long, dedicated and outstanding service as a legal practitioner in the country, McKay had also been awarded the Cacique Crown of Honour – the second highest award in the Order of Service of Guyana.
Founder of the law firm Mc Kay and Moore, McKay had also owned WRHM TV Channel 7. Back in October of 2023, in the third instalment of its Eminent Caribbean Jurists series, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Academy of Law had honoured eight Guyanese among 48 outstanding Caribbean lawyers. McKay had been among those honoured.
He was considered a giant of the legal profession, representing historical, transitional and contemporary epochs of law and development in the region during his distinguished and sterling career which spanned approximately six decades.
He was admitted to practice law in British Guiana in the year 1956, having completed his legal education at the University of London and at Lincoln’s Inn, from where he graduated as a Barrister-at-Law. Almost immediately upon his return to British Guiana, McKay, through his industry, his ability to do research, and his impeccable style of writing, began to make an impact in the legal profession. He died in December 2023.