The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech, Jamaica) joins the nation in mourning the passing of the Honourable Professor Oswald Gaskell Harding, KC, OJ, who died on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the age of 90. A distinguished statesman, legal luminary, and educator, Professor Harding made an indelible contribution to Jamaican public life across the fields of law, politics, diplomacy, and academia.
Professor Harding’s service and contribution to UTech, Jamaica were both formative and enduring. He played a central role in helping to establish the Faculty of Law at the University, leaving an institutional legacy that continues to shape the next generation of Jamaican legal professionals. He was appointed Adjunct Professor of Law and Philosophy in the Faculty of Law in August 2007, and by August 2010 had been elevated to the rank of full Professor of Law and Philosophy. He subsequently served as Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law from January 2011 before being confirmed as Dean, serving under contract from September 2011 to August 2015. Even prior to the conclusion of his deanship, he accepted a special post-retirement appointment as Adjunct Professor of Law, reflecting his abiding commitment to legal education in Jamaica.
Beyond the University, Professor Harding’s public service career was one of the most distinguished in the nation’s history. He served as Jamaica’s longest-serving senator, holding the office of President of the Senate from 1980 to 1984 and again from 2007 to 2011, becoming the first person to serve two non-consecutive terms in that role. First appointed to the Senate in 1977, he served continuously until 2002, a tenure that remains the longest in the body’s history. He also served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Jamaica, bringing exceptional legal scholarship, sound judgement, and integrity to every office he held.
Dr. Kevin Brown, President, UTech, Jamaica states that “Professor Harding exemplified the highest ideals of public service, a life devoted to the law, to learning, and to the advancement of his country. At UTech, Jamaica, we were privileged to benefit from his wisdom and his leadership,” adding that “his contribution to the development of our Faculty of Law and to Jamaica’s constitutional and democratic traditions will endure for generations. The University extends its sincere condolences to Professor Harding’s immediate and extended family, as well as to his friends and colleagues. His passing marks the end of a remarkable era of public service, but his enduring legacy at the University of Technology, Jamaica, and in the nation’s public life will continue to inspire all who follow in his footsteps.”
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Contact:
Michelle Beckford (Mrs.)
Corporate Communications Manager
University of Technology, Jamaica
Telephone: (876) 970-5299
Email: [email protected]
