Tributes to Julian Hall poured in from across Bermuda's political spectrum yesterday as well as from his colleagues in the legal world and members of the media. Here are some of their memories:

Jonathan Smith, Commissioner of Police 2001-2005: "In the 1980's and 1990's I was involved in many court trials in which Julian was the criminal defence attorney. At his best, he was razor sharp and possessed a brilliant legal mind which was exceptionally adept. He had a command of language which was virtually unsurpassed in the ebb and flow of criminal proceedings. Absolutely one of the top three legal minds I ever came across in all my years of law enforcement and certainly one of the best Bermuda has ever produced."

Barrister Narinder Hargun, of Conyers Dill and Pearman: "It is so very sad to hear about the passing of Julian Hall at such a young age. I met Julian when we were law students at the London School of Economics, an institution he was always extremely proud of, in the early 1970s, and have remained close friends for nearly 40 years.

"In fact it was Julian Hall who asked me to join him in his new practice, Julian Hall and Partners, in Bermuda in 1979. Julian will be remembered as one of the finest jury trial lawyers of his generation and a formidable adversary in court. Criminal law was his passion and he understood the subtleties of juries better than most lawyers of his day. To his friends Julian was an extremely generous soul. He was always the best company. He will be sadly missed."

Barrister and United Bermuda Party politician Mark Pettingill: "Obviously I knew of Julian before I went to law school, then when I came back I did my first ever matter against him, an employment hearing when I was working as a Crown counsel in the Attorney General's chambers. I think something of a friendship started then. It was a straightforward matter and when we were done I was chuffed with the result. He was waiting for me outside and put his hand on my shoulder and said 'well done, you're going to do well in your career,' and then I think he took me out for dinner.

"When he was at his best in the courtroom there was just no-one to compare. He was generous with his time with the younger lawyers with lunches or dinner or if you needed help, he would be the first to be there for you."

Barrister Delroy Duncan, speaking on behalf of both he and Perry Trott of law firm Trott and Duncan: "Perry met Julian in the 1970s after Julian gave a mesmerizing lecture at the Berkeley Institute. I was introduced to Julian by his law school tutor, Mr. John Perry Q.C.

"Julian influenced both our careers. Having been exposed to some of the finest advocates in the United Kingdom, I can say that Julian took the art of advocacy to a higher level. Julian provided Perry with a how to guide on becoming a lawyer which could not be found in any text book.

"Trott and Duncan would not exist were it not for Julian introducing Perry to me. By his example, we both learnt how to prepare difficult cases and confront formidable opponents. Julian equipped us to be the lawyers that we are today.

"In my opinion, Julian was the finest advocate of his generation. He had a superb command of the English language, a razor-sharp wit, an uncanny sense of the weakness in the opposing side's case, and a boldness – all of which combined created an unrivaled courtroom presence. There were occasions when after appearing in court with Julian I just shook my head and wondered 'how on earth did he do that'. Simply brilliant!"

Gita Blakeney-Saltus, a jazz artiste who often sang with Mr. Hall and who will perform at his funeral: "Julian was a great talent. He had a wonderful voice and he also supported me in my career. He enjoyed the classical standards and I had the opportunity to perform with him at his 40th birthday party. Julian loved music and embraced all musicians. He was very much a godfather to me, I had lots of great love for him and respect."

Tim Hodgson, editor of the Mid-Ocean News: "He was, of course, a political animal but never as inflexible a party man as might have been inferred from some of the polished, highly persuasive partisan speeches he delivered on behalf of the Progressive Labour Party as an MP or, indeed, on behalf of the United Bermuda Party when he was in their ranks.

"Rather he yearned for a Bermuda free of artificial divisions, free of the polarising UBP/PLP dynamic, free of inherited and unearned privilege as well as the type of obsolete grievances that are so routinely employed as roadblocks to genuine progress.

"He was a man of the world and a man of letters, a master of the law and a master of the written and spoken word. He was capable of flashes of the most dazzling brilliance, the mental equivalents of those sudden summer lightning storms which illuminate the entire Island in the dead of night. He was also capable of misjudgements as epically scaled as a Himalayan peak and could demonstrate a self-destructive streak worthy of a kamikaze pilot. I think he may have been the most conflicted soul I've ever known as well as one of the most gifted. In some ways Julian was as much a victim of that terrific intellect as he was its beneficiary. He reminded me of something Sherlock Holmes says in one of the Arthur Conan Doyle short stories: 'My mind is like a racing engine, tearing itself to pieces because it is not connected up with the work for which it was built'. I think in Julian's case, the work for which that formidable mind was built was not always easily found – either in Bermuda or during his periods abroad."

Former Royal Gazette reporter David Marchant, who now publishes the Miami-based Offshore Alert: "When I worked in Bermuda as a journalist from 1990 to 1996, I came to know Julian both through my work and socially, regularly hanging out with him and his entourage on Front Street, the Back of Town and on the ocean, usually in a magnificent boat during a holiday weekend.

"He was always friendly, entertaining, interesting, generous and full of life. When you were meeting up with Julian, you always knew it would be good fun - absolutely guaranteed.

"I have worked in many countries and interviewed many people from all walks of life, many of them highly successful in their respective fields, and I can honestly say that I have never met anyone more intelligent than Julian. He was an extraordinary person and it is a great tragedy for Bermuda that he never became Premier."