Lionel Caney, the eldest child of Charles and Helen Caney, was born in Durban, educated at Highbury School and Durban High School and qualified as an attorney at the University of Natal. In 1920 he was admitted as an attorney, qualified as an advocate in 1926 and went to the Bar in 1932. He "took silk" in 1944 and was appointed permanently to the Bench in 1954. As a judge, the Hon. Lionel Rhodes Caney was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Law by the University of Natal in 1972.

Leo was a keen yachtsman, and was Commodore of the Royal Natal Yacht Club.