Three women named for first time as Senior Counsel

After 20 years without an award, Attorney General, Basil Williams, and three women were among a list of nine persons yesterday named by President David Granger as Senior Counsel.

Effective today, it would be the first time that women have been named as Senior Counsel– which is a recognition by Government of the high esteem held for certain members of the legal profession. According to the Ministry of the Presidency, the Senior Counsel recognition is for persons “learned in the law in Guyana, on account of their exemplary experience, erudition, excellence and diligence in the practice of the law…” The persons included Neil Aubrey Boston. He was admitted to the Bar in November 1982, and was named for “service with distinction as a trial lawyer for over 34 years”. For his 33 years as Parliamentary Counsel and Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Charles John Ethelwood Fung-A-Fat, was also recognized. He was admitted to the Bar in August 1983. The list also included Justice Alison Roxanne McLean GeorgeWiltshire. She was admitted to the Bar in October 1990, and has served as a Senior State Counsel, Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Deputy Director of Public Prosecution and Director of Public Prosecution. The oldest of the persons named was 91-year-old Clifton Mortimer Llewellyn John, admitted in 1952 first as a solicitor and then as a barrister. He has practised for 64 years in both the High Court and the Magistrate’s Court. Rafiq Turhan Khan, admitted to the Bar in November 1984, is now Senior Counsel for his service as an advocate, member and CoChairman of the Legal Practitioners Committee. Vidyanand Persaud, called to the Bar in London in July 1976, and admitted to the Bar in Guyana in October 1976, has served as an arbitrator in disputes and in private practice for 40 years. He was appointed an Acting Puisne Judge of Guyana Supreme Court in 1994. Also on the list is Rosalie Althea Robertson. She was admitted to the Bar in November 1983 and for 33 years has served as a Legal Advisor, Corporate Secretary and as Registrar of Lands. Justice Claudette Margot Cecile Singh, called to the Bar in London in 1973 and admitted to the Bar in Guyana in 1976, was said to have served as Deputy Solicitor General and as a Puisne Judge and a Justice of Appeal. She has also spearheaded the Modernisation of the Justice Reform Project, and is currently the Guyana Police Force’s Legal Advisor. The current Attorney General, Basil Williams, admitted to the Bar in October 1983, was recognized for his service in the practice of the law in both criminal and civil law for over 33 years.

(Kaieteurnews.com)