Meanwhile, President of Dominica His Excellency Charles Savarin says he was deeply saddened upon hearing the shocking news of the passing of Speaker Emerita Alix Boyd Knights.
In a media statement His Excellency Savarin says Boyd-Knights, an Attorney-at-Law by profession, was first elected as Speaker of the House of Assembly on 17th April 2000 and was subsequently re-elected on 27th July 2005, 4th February 2010 and 20th February 2015; being the longest-serving Speaker in the history of Dominica and was named Speaker Emerita at the end of her tenure.
Boyd-knights served as the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association from 2010 to 2013 and was instrumental in the development of the set of family legislation passed in Parliament in April 2023.
His Excellency Savarin states that the Speaker Emerita was a true patriot and prominent Caribbean woman who will be remembered for her almost 20 years of dedicated and sterling service to the House of Assembly, her strong advocacy on the rights of vulnerable women and children, her great love for carnival, cooking, hosting and horticulture.
The statement continues stating that the sudden passing of Speaker Emerita Boyd-Knights will certainly leave a void in the lives of her children, grandchildren, her siblings, office staff, close friends and extended family, which will remain with them for a long time.
It adds that the Government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica join Mrs. Savarin and myself in conveying to her children, her grandson Senator Phillip Rolle who now serves as Deputy Speaker and her other grandchildren, the employees of her law firm, the legal fraternity, her close friends and relatives, our deepest condolences on this very sad occasion.
And, St Lucia’s Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre remembered the late Alix Boyd-Knights as a formidable woman.
In a statement on his Facebook page, Pierre said upon the news of Boyd Knights death, he recalled her presence and efficient manner in which she presided over the business of the House during her twenty-year tenure.
The St Lucian leader said he wished to express his sincere condolences to her family, friends, and the Government and the people of Dominica during this time.
Pierre stated that Saint Lucia shares in Dominica’s grief as Boyd-Knights was once a resident and productive citizen of St Lucia.
