The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG


Tribune Staff Reporter


ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PROMINENT attorney Ramona Farquharson died yesterday, drawing tributes from across the legal and political community for a career marked by forceful advocacy.

Details surrounding her death were not immediately available. However, she was reportedly found unresponsive and taken to Doctors Hospital, where relatives and members of the legal fraternity quickly gathered after learning of the news.

Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard said the party was shocked by her death and described her as widely respected for her “sharp wit, formidable legal acumen, and fearless advocacy”.

“She brought that same intellect, passion, and conviction to the Free National Movement as a member of our Executive Council,” he said.

“She was direct and did not mince words when sharing her views. We benefitted from her tough questions and strong positions on subjects most would avoid or sugarcoat when the matter required forthrightness.”

“Her voice and presence will be deeply missed, not just by our organization, but by the legal fraternity and the wider national community”.

Prime Minister Philip Davis released a statement last night, saying “Ann and I are heartbroken by the news of the passing of Attorney Ramona Farquharson-Seymour.

“There are some losses that land heavy, because they take away someone who was still in the middle of giving. Ramona was in her late 40s, yet her name already carried weight in our legal community, built on hard work, sharp ability, and the courage to take on difficult matters and see them through.

“Since being called to the Bar in December 2001, she earned respect,” Mr Davis said.

“Ann and I extend our deepest condolences to her husband, Attorney Calvin Seymour, and to their two daughters, who now face a kind of grief that no family ever deserves. We also extend our condolences to her wider family, her colleagues and friends, and to all who were touched by her life and her work.

“On behalf of the Progressive Liberal Party, we mourn with you. We pray that God will steady you, comfort you, and wrap you in peace as you remember Ramona and lean on one another in the days ahead.”

According to the Bahamas Bar Association, Mrs Farquharson-Seymour was called to the Bar in 2001 and practised as a general attorney for more than two decades. During that time, she was involved in several high-profile matters.

She recently represented former Prison Commissioner Charles Murphy in his lawsuit against the government after he was placed on administrative leave in September 2021. The case is ongoing.

She was also part of the legal team for Long Island MP Adrian Gibson when he was initially arrested and questioned by officers from the Central Detective Unit in 2022 in connection with his tenure at the Water and Sewerage Corporation. Mr Gibson later went to trial represented by different counsel.

In 2023, Mrs Farquharson told The Tribune she intended to run for president of the Bahamas Bar Association, saying the organisation needed new vision and leadership. The incumbent, Khalil Parker, ultimately retained the post.

The Tribune understands that Mrs Farquharson-Seymour had initially sought a Free National Movement nomination for the next general election, but later withdrew her application.