Supreme Court/UWI get Edward Laing’s collection of books

A rich collection of books has been added to the Supreme Court Library. The collection was named the Edward Laing’s Collection and was received today by Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh, seven years after the death of the author. It includes a wide assortment of books, magazines, articles and legal writings of the late Judge Edward Laing who also distinguished himself as a member of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea. Laing was an Ambassador of Belize to the United States, OAS, Canada and the United Nations. And because Laing also made his mark at the University of the West Indies as Senior Lecturer and founding member of the faculty of law, his wife, Margery decided to share the collection between the University and the Supreme Court library.

Margery Laing, Wife of late Edward Laing
“We are here to dedicate a collection of a section of my husbands library, which includes the books that he used in his research as well as the output of his own research, his articles and other writings. First of all the books were too important to be put away. I needed to have them in a place where they would live really after his death and where in some way somewhere they might engender debate and further scholarship, not only by those who have known him and appreciate what he have done, but also by those who have not. This is not the only collection; this is why it’s small. The other portion of it has gone to the University of the West Indies where he made his mark and where I know he is greatly appreciated even after many, many years.”

Abdulai Conteh, Chief Justice
“In many sense, Judge Laing was a true benefactor of Belize—though he might have been an unsound and unheralded benefactor.”

Portraits of Laing was also donated on behalf of his wife both to the UWI and the library.