# Joseph Archibald

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**Dr. Joseph Samuel Archibald**, [QC](/source/Queen's_Counsel)[1] (27 January 1934 – 3 April 2014) was a [Saint Kittitian](/source/Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis)-born [British Virgin Islander](/source/British_Virgin_Islands) [jurist](/source/Jurist), lawyer, [registrar](/source/Registrar_(law)), [magistrate](/source/Magistrate), former Director of Public Prosecutions, and former [Attorney General](/source/Attorney_General).

## Biography

Archibald was a native of [Saint Kitts and Nevis](/source/Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis).[2][3] On 12 July 1960, he was admitted to [Bar](/source/Bar_association) as a [barrister](/source/Barrister) of the [Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn](/source/Honourable_Society_of_Lincoln's_Inn) in London.[3] Archibald specialised in [civil litigation](/source/Civil_litigation), [commercial law](/source/Commercial_law), [banking law](/source/Banking_law), [international arbitration](/source/International_arbitration), [property law](/source/Property_law), and [insolvency](/source/Insolvency).[2] He served on the Magistrate's Court, [Appellate Court](/source/Appellate_Court), as well as the Judicial Committee of the [Privy Council](/source/Privy_Council) in the United Kingdom.[2] He was elevated to [Queen's Counsel](/source/Queen's_Counsel) in 1980.[3]

Archibald was appointed [Attorney General of St Kitts, Nevis & Anguilla](/source/Attorney_General_of_Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis) from 1960 to 1964 and from 1966 to 1968.[4] He moved from [Saint Kitts](/source/Saint_Kitts) to the [British Virgin Islands](/source/British_Virgin_Islands) to practice law.[2] He settled on [Tortola](/source/Tortola) and founded his [law practice](/source/Law_practice), J. S. Archibald and Co.[2] He served in several legal positions in the British Virgin Islands, including tenures as [Magistrate](/source/Magistrate), [Registrar](/source/Registrar_(law)), [Director of Public Prosecutions](/source/Director_of_Public_Prosecutions), [Crown Attorney](/source/Crown_Attorney) (now known as the [Attorney General of the British Virgin Islands](/source/Attorney_General_of_the_British_Virgin_Islands)), High Court Judge and [Court of Appeal](/source/Court_of_Appeal) judge.[2][3] In the early 1990s, Archibald was recommended as a potential successor for Sir [Lascelles Robotham](/source/Lascelles_Robotham), who was retiring as [Chief Justice](/source/Chief_Justice) of the [Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court](/source/Eastern_Caribbean_Supreme_Court) at the time.[3] Archibald also served as a commissioner on the committee which appoints judges to the [Caribbean Court of Justice](/source/Caribbean_Court_of_Justice).[3]

Archibald was one of the first presidents of the [BVI Bar Association](/source/BVI_Bar_Association), a position he held from 1986 until 1994.[2] He also served as a founder and founding president of the [Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States](/source/Organisation_of_Eastern_Caribbean_States) (OECS) Bar Association from 1991 until 1996.[2] As president of the OECS Bar Association, Archibald oversaw the ethical standards and rules under which new solicitors and [barristers](/source/Barrister) must adhere to to practice before the [Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court](/source/Eastern_Caribbean_Supreme_Court).[2] Joseph Archibald was reappointed to a second term on the [CARICOM](/source/CARICOM) Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission in 2010.[2]

In 1987, he served as the 13th World Law Conference's chairman of the Constitutional Committee at the convention in [Seoul](/source/Seoul), [South Korea](/source/South_Korea), where he moderated a discussion on "The Bicentennial of the [United States Constitution](/source/United_States_Constitution) and its effect on the Constitutions of Asia".[3] He also delivered the inaugural Sir Archibald Nedd Memorial Lecture on 26 July 1996, in [Grenada](/source/Grenada).[3]

Archibald was honoured by the [World Jurist Association](/source/World_Jurist_Association), which named him as one of its eighteen outstanding members and added his name to the Rule of Law Monument.[3] The [University of the West Indies](/source/University_of_the_West_Indies) had awarded the Joseph S. Archibald QC International Prize to final year [LL.B](/source/LL.B) students since 1990.[3] In October 2005, the University of the West Indies bestowed him with an honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws.[3]

Dr. Archibald died on 3 April 2014, in McNamara, [Road Town](/source/Road_Town), British Virgin Islands.[2] He was survived by his wife of 48 years, [V. Inez Archibald](/source/V._Inez_Archibald), who has served as the [Deputy Governor of the British Virgin Islands](/source/Deputy_Governor_of_the_British_Virgin_Islands) since 2008;[3][5] their three daughters, and five grandchildren.[3] His funeral was held at the Road Town Methodist Church in Road Town on 26 April 2014. Dignitaries in attendance included [Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis) [Denzil Douglas](/source/Denzil_Douglas).[3] Archibald was buried at the Road Town cemetery.[3]

## References

1. Archibald received an honorary doctorate from the [University of the West Indies](/source/University_of_the_West_Indies). Despite the [social convention on honorary doctorates](/source/Honorary_degree#Use_of_title_associated_with_honorary_doctorates), he preferred during his lifetime to be addressed as "Dr Archibald".

1. ["Son of the Soil Dr. Joseph S. Archibald, QC Dies"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140407142719/http://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/2014/03/28/son-of-the-soil-dies.html). *[The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer](/source/The_St._Kitts-Nevis_Observer)*. 4 April 2014. Archived from [the original](http://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/2014/03/28/son-of-the-soil-dies.html) on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.

1. ["Hundreds Bid Farewell To Dr. Joseph S. Archibald, QC"](http://www.bviplatinum.com/news.php?articleId=1398553826). *[BVI Platinum](/source/British_Virgin_Islands_news_websites#Virgin_Islands_Platinum_News)*. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.

1. ["CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY AT THE INNS OF COURT"](https://www.innertemplelibrary.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BHM2018-pamplet-1.pdf). 2018.

1. ["Mrs. V. Inez Archibald, Function: Deputy Governor"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140503152755/http://www.bvi.gov.vg/bio/mrs-v-inez-archibald). *[Government of the British Virgin Islands](/source/Government_of_the_British_Virgin_Islands)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.bvi.gov.vg/bio/mrs-v-inez-archibald) on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joseph Archibald](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Archibald) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Archibald?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.