Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Local A. Hermia Tench-Donovan becomes first female Maritime Barrister in VI

Local A. Hermia Tench-Donovan becomes first female Maritime Barrister in VI

Virgin Islander Mrs Allison Hermia Tench- Donovan, at attorney at O'Neal Webster, was called to practice as a Barrister of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) in the Virgin Islands on March 1, 2022, becoming one of the newest members of the local bar and the first female Barrister focusing on Maritime Law.

In recognition, Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) on Saturday, March 5, 2022, saluted Tench-Donovan for her new achievement and revealed that she has always had a passion for maritime, which he said resulted in her pursuit to make a valuable contribution to the local industry.

Relatives related to Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) that entry to the bar was put forward before the Honourable Madam Justice Vickie Ann Ellis by Attorney at Law Mrs Asha Johnson Willins with the support of Senior Partner Vanessa King.

Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) on Saturday, March 5, 2022, saluted Ms A. Hermia Tench-Donovan for her new achievement and revealed that she has always had a passion for maritime.


Admitted at Bar of England & Wales in 2022


Tench-Donovan was first admitted at the Bar of England and Wales by the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn on October 4, 2021. She holds a Master's degree in International Maritime Law from the University of the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) from Malta in 2019.

Mrs Tench-Donovan created her path by being the first female Barrister to concentrate in Maritime Law, residing in the Virgin Islands to accomplish this goal. She is also the first Virgin Islander to attend IMLI.

IMO (International Maritime Organisation) focuses solely on Maritime International affairs and Mrs Tench-Donovan also attained a Bachelor's Degree in Law (Hons) from the University of Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in 2017 and a Diploma in Law from Holborn College in London in 2009.

She completed her professional Bar Vocational Studies with The City of Law in London in 2021.

Tench-Donovan said the course to study Maritime Law was enriching not just from gaining knowledge, but the relationships that was built with colleagues that share common goals and values.

“Learning to accept people of various cultures taught me to always be open to people before judging them and to always remain humble and grateful.”

On being called to the bar she said, “Being called… was momentous, a journey that required so much conviction from me. The feeling of satisfaction was so overwhelming; I wouldn’t have achieved this goal without a strong support team.”

Mrs Tench-Donovan added that her immediate family stood by her side and encouraged her through every step to make the journey one that was more than just studying and becoming a qualified barrister.”

Thankful to God!


The Virgin Islander said he remains thankful to God for her journey because it would not have been possible without Him and further stated that she is grateful for an incredible supporting cast made up of her husband, mother, stepfather, sister, extended family, close friends, and the First District Representative.

“Their support individually, collectively, and constant encouragement helped me,” she added.

The new Barrister added that with God's help, she intends to remain humble to serve in the Virgin Islands and beyond with honour and dignity to help where she can help to build a civil society where the rule of law is paramount to the beautiful Virgin Islands.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×