| Order 1 | Acting |
|---|---|
| Office 1 | Governor-General of the Bahamas |
| Monarch 1 | Elizabeth II |
| Prime minister 1 | Perry Christie |
| Term start 1 | 1 December 2005 |
| Term end 1 | 1 February 2006 |
| Predecessor 1 | Dame Ivy Dumont |
| Successor 1 | A. D. Hanna |
| Office 2 | Minister of Finance of the Bahamas |
| Prime minister 2 | Lynden Pindling |
| Term start 2 | 1990 |
| Term end 2 | 1992 |
| Predecessor 2 | Lynden Pindling |
| Successor 2 | Hubert Ingraham |
| Birth date | 15 August 1928 |
| Birth place | Nassau, Bahamas |
| Death date | 19 September 2012 (aged 84) |
| Death place | Bahamas |
| Party | National Development Party |
Paul Lawrence Adderley (15 August 1928[1] – 19 September 2012[2]) was a Bahamian politician and lawyer. He was the longest serving Attorney-General of the 20th century, holding the post for 17 years[3] (1973–1989).[4]
Career
Adderley was originally a member of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) under Lynden Oscar Pindling. However, Adderley left the PLP in 1965 and established the National Development Party (NDP) political party.[5] He returned to the PLP shortly before the Bahamas achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1973.[5]
On 1 March 1973, he was appointed Minister of External Affairs and on 10 July 1973 became the country's first and, ultimately, longest-serving[6] Attorney-General.[2] One day after his change from the ministry of foreign affairs to the ministry of education, he nonetheless held the Bahamian speech in the UN general debate on 10 October 1984 instead of his successor Clement T. Maynard.
Adderley served as Minister of Education from 1984 to 1990.[7] He served as Minister of National Security from 1987 to 1992.[8] He was then appointed as the Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1992.[8]
Adderley served as acting Governor-General of the Bahamas from 1 December 2005 until 1 February 2006.[5][9]
Adderley retired from politics, remaining an active attorney as of 2010.[5] In September 2010, he appeared in the documentary film On the Wings of Men, about Lynden Oscar Pindling, by Bahamian filmmaker Calvin Harris.[5]
Death and legacy
Adderley died on 19 September 2012, aged 84,[10] and was given a state funeral on 28 September.[11]
At a ceremony on 27 June 2014,[12] the building housing the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Ministry of Legal Affairs was named in honour of Paul L. Adderley.[6][13][14]
References
- ^ Bahamas Handbook and Businessman's Annual. Etienne Dupuch Publications. 1994. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ "The Late Honourable Paul L. Adderley" Archived November 21, 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Bahamas High Commission, London.
- ^ Christie, Perry (20 September 2012). "Tributes Paid To Paul Adderley". Tribune242. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ "Attorneys-General Post Independence". www.bahamas.gov.bs. Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs of the Bahamas. Archived from the original on 2022-08-07.
- ^ Harris, Calvin (10 September 2010). "Behind the scenes on Bahamian documentary, 'On the Wings of Men' with the Rt. Hon. Paul Adderley". Bahamas Weekly. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ Pinder, Macushla (30 June 2014). "AG Office Officially Named Paul Adderley – Longest Serving AG Honoured". The Bahama Journal. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ Dames, Terren (1 May 2010). "The Historical Development of Tertiary Education in the Bahamas: The College of the Bahamas, Past, Present, and Future"
- ^ "Past and Present Ministers MNS and Bios". www.bahamas.gov.bs. Government of The Bahamas.
- ^ Thompson, Taneka (September 28, 2012). "Paul Adderley dies at 84". The Freeport News. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ^ Nixon, Celeste (21 September 2012). "Union leaders pay their respects to Paul Adderley". The Tribune. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ Thompson, Lindsay (September 30, 2012). "Paul L. Adderley given Hero's Send-off in Nassau, Bahamas". heBahamasWeekly.com. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ Vedrine, Betty (10 July 2014). "Major Tribute Bestowed on Former Attorney General Paul L. Adderley". TheBahamasWeekly.com. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ Editorial (30 June 2014), "Deserving honor for Paul Adderley", The Freeport News. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ Thompson, Lindsay (28 June 2014). "Naming and Opening of Paul L Adderley Building dubbed Red Letter Day". TheBahamasWeekly.com. Retrieved 3 September 2025.