[2] In 1997, she ruled that Janet Jagan had the constitutional right to be President after the election was challenged in court.
[3] The Court held a special sitting to mark her retirement, with the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh, saying that her legal career "blazed the path for women in Guyana and Caribbean" and Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque saying that she had set an "awe-inspiring example" with her consistent concern for women and her contributions to principles of law and procedure such that she "has enriched the legal and social fabric of our community.
[4] She was involved in the formation of the Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic and chairs its Board for many years.
[3][2] In 2013, she completed research on the "Compatibility of the Caribbean Court of Justice with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas" after receiving a fellowship from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London.
[2] Bernard has received two of Guyana's three highest national awards, the Cacique's Crown of Honour and the Order of Roraima.
[2] Bernard was single and had an adopted daughter, Carol, who is a lawyer in Trinidad and Tobago.