Edward Luckhoo


Sir Edward Victor Luckhoo OR was the last Governor General of Guyana, and briefly the acting President of the Republic of Guyana on its formation in 1970.

Family and education

He was born in New Amsterdam, Berbice, the son of Edward Luckhoo, a solicitor of Indian extraction, and educated at Queen's College, Guyana and St Catherine's College, Oxford, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree. He studied law at the Middle Temple, where he was called to the bar in 1931. Admitted to practice in 1936, he was made Queen’s Counsel in 1965.
He was the brother of lawyer and diplomat Sir Lionel Luckhoo, who was the British High Commissioner for Guyana and Barbados.

Career

He was appointed a Justice of Appeal in 1966 and Chancellor of the Judiciary in October 1969.
As Chancellor of the Judiciary from 1969 to 1976 he was President of the Court of Appeal and briefly became the last Governor-General in 1969, and then Acting President when Guyana became a Republic on 23 February 1970. However, he is not officially mentioned in lists of Presidents of Guyana.

Honours

He was knighted on 1 January 1970 and received the Order of Roraima of Guyana in the same year.
Edward Luckhoo was married to Maureen Moxlow of Batley, West Yorkshire. In retirement, they returned to West Yorkshire, and lived in Ossett, where they were both active members of the Anglican Church, and catechists for Confirmation classes. Sir Edward died on 3 March 1998, aged 85, and is buried in Ossett. Lady Luckhoo still resides in the town.