Tears and tributes flowed freely as friends, relatives and members of the Jamaican judiciary bid farewell to the late, retired Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Glen Roy Andrade, at the Webster Memorial Church in St Andrew on Saturday.

Andrade died on September 17, at the Andrews Memorial Hospital after a year-long battle with cancer.

In a tribute to the former DPP, retired Court of Appeal judge, Clarence Walker, described him as one of the greatest of his many friends. Walker recalled that it was in 1962, while studying in England, that he first met Andrade. They would then go on to share a lifelong friendship.

"Our meeting took place on a train on the London underground. Having heard him speaking in that unmistakably Jamaican accent we soon realised that we were both Jamaicans," Walker said. "Further conversation established that we were both in London pursuing the same objective at the same level and the same university."

They met again

He added that after two years they both graduated and were called to the Bar where they became Barristers of Law in England and automatically Jamaica. After leaving England, Walker returned to Jamaica and took up duties at the Half-Way Tree Court. As fate would have it, both Andrade and Walker would end up practising at the same place.

"Lo and behold, within a few days of my resumption of duties at Half-Way Tree Court, Andrade reported for duty assigned to the same court's office," Walker said.

He jokingly recalled how he "took it upon himself" to show Andrade around the office.

"I knew all the runnings around the office while Glen was the new kid on the block. And don't ask if I didn't exercise my seniority," he recalled.

Walker said the two men worked at Half-Way Tree for three years until 1967 when Andrade was transferred to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Started at the bottom

"He was to remain in that department for 31 years, rising from the lowest professional position of acting assistant Crown counsel to the highest position of DPP in 1997."

Walker shared anecdotes of how Andrade's "good looks" would give him a greater advantage in any social setting.

He also said that in his role as DPP, Andrade held firmly to the view that he should act in the public interest. "Glen's modus operandi was that of a minister of justice; the innocent have nothing to fear, only the guilty had a problem."

Andrade was eulogised by, Donald Scharschmidit, Queen's Counsel, who described him as having a demeanour that would allow him to succeed in any career path he chose.