Philip Cohen Stern was born at Kingston, on 5th February 1847, the third son of Abraham and Esther Cohen Stern. He received his higher education at University College, London, and was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 1869. He was admitted to the Jamaican Bar in 1870, and by a local law of 1872 was also admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Jamaica. He practised at the English Bar for a short time, but had to leave England because of ill health and return to practise at the Jamaica Bar, where he soon became leader. He returned to England in 1878, and practised there until 1893. He founded and edited Pump Court, the Temple newspaper and review which was apparently published from 1883 to 1891. He returned to Jamaica in 1893, again on account of ill health. He was unquestionably the best advocate of his time and he appeared in most of the notable criminal cases of the period. Most significantly he defended Bedward in 1895, and after a strenuous fight, he had him released from custody. He defended the soldiers in the famous soldier riot case in 1897, and his mastery and skill as an advocate, especially in cross-examination, made his name as the island’s leading criminal lawyer; many considered him the equal of the best criminal lawyers in England.

In the mid-1890s he entered both local and national politics. He briefly represented the Parish of St. Catherine in the Legislative Council between  August and December of 1895, and then represented Kingston from January 1896 to July 1908. He was elected to the Kingston municipal council and was three times Mayor of Kingston. It was said at the time that his success in politics was largely due to support generated by his successful defence of Bedward and the soldiers. In the early stages of his political activity he was frequently strongly opposed by Robert Love, but later the two men were allies in various political causes.          

After his retirement from the Legislative Council, he filled the position of clerk to the Council from 1908 to 1924. He held a number of other public offices, and was noteworthy as the last member of the legal profession entitled to practise both as a barrister and a solicitor, before the fusion of the two branches of the profession in 1972.

He was a prominent Freemason; he was twice (1913-15) Master of his Lodge - the Collegium Fabrorum, and filled several offices in the District Grand Lodge of Jamaica E.C.

He died at his residence Neil’s Court, Waterloo Road,off the Windward Road in Kingston, on 14th September 1933, and was buried in the Orange Street Jewish Cemetery the following day.

The Legislature, on 7th November 1933, passed a resolution commemorating Philip Stern’s services to the Island.