The legal community has paid respects to a lawyer who as duty counsel made a name for himself over decades of defending people appearing before the island’s courts.

Peter Farge, 79, owner of the firm Peter J Farge & Associates, was remembered during a sitting of the Supreme Court.

Mr Farge’s family also paid tribute to him as a champion for the downtrodden and for defendants who struggled with addiction, with “no wish for self-enrichment”.

Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe led a moment of silence in remembrance of Mr Farge, the husband of concert pianist and singer Jane Farge.

A familiar figure at plea court, Mr Farge was an advocate for the modernising of legal aid and spoke up for the treatment of defendants kept in cells at the old Hamilton Police Station.

Mr Justice Wolffe said that Mr Farge had been a stalwart servant of the court, noting that he had offered him a great deal of advice when he first became a lawyer.

He said: “He was always respectful of the court, whether it decided for or against him. He was a consummate gentleman.”

Mr Justice Wolffe also highlighted that Mr Farge was once an accomplished runner who took part in many May 24 races. He was known for coming close to victory in the 1980s.

He added: “Mr Farge left an indelible mark on our profession.”

Longstanding defence lawyer Charles Richardson told the court that Mr Farge’s athletic endeavours also extended to cricket, where he played for Cleveland County.

Meanwhile, Cindy Clarke, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said that Mr Farge was to her knowledge the only person to write to the Governor in support of her after she was earlier passed over for the post.

His family said Mr Farge was one of three brothers born to a British-Hungarian mother, Maisie Farge, and an American father, Roger Farge, who came to Bermuda during the Second World War.

Mr Farge attended Saltus Grammar School before earning an economics degree at Queen’s College in Canada.

Upon returning to Bermuda, he worked as an accountant and taxi driver before turning to a career in law.

Called to the Bar in midlife, Mr Farge was described by his family as “that rare lawyer who devoted his career to helping those who might otherwise have struggled to find a voice — the poor, the vulnerable, the addicted and the troubled — with no wish for self-enrichment”.

The family said: “His direct, humane and sometimes provocative arguments in court brought a concern for the individuals involved, rather than just the offence committed.

“Once he fought for a vulnerable three-generation family facing eviction and he helped protect and assist clients grappling with addiction and domestic abuse.

“Grandeur or wealth were never his aim.”

Many knew Mr Farge from his walks between his Reid Street offices and Magistrates’ Court, “stopping along the way to greet passers-by, exchange a few words or exercise the mischievous sense of humour for which he was well known”.

His family added: “Peter could be feisty and never shied away from an argument but even his detractors could not help but admire his strong sense of social justice and determination to stand by, and live by, his convictions.”

His survivors include brothers Roger and Richard, nieces Laura and Emma and nephews William and James.

Peter James Farge, a longstanding defence lawyer, was born on December 5, 1946. He died on October 26, 2026, aged 79