QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY

JUDGE OF THE SUPREME COURT – Appointed to act as a Judge on the criminal side  February 28th , 2015. Confirmed in position, May 1 st 2016. Presided over criminal matters, civil and public law, family division, maritime, International Mutual Legal Assistance matters; April 2020 – Assigned to Criminal Division with some family matters.

COUNSEL & ATTORNEY-AT-LAW – Admitted to The Bahamas Bar, September 23, 1988; and the Bar of England and Wales, July 28, 1988.

EDUCATION

Co-Chair – Continuing Judicial Education May 2015 – June 2019; responsible for compiling Civil, Criminal, & Coroners Bench Books;

Member – Bahamas Judicial Education Institute – July 2019 to present;

Certificate  – AML/CFT/CDE Workshop for Judges and Prosecutors; Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and Security General of the Commonwealth – May 2018

Certificate – Member International Law Enforcement Academy, El Salvador; Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering – August 2017

Certificate – Granted fellowship, International Development Law Organization, Vaile, Vaticano 106 Rome, Italy; Building Legal Frameworks to Implement the Nagoya Protocol: “A Capacity Building Course for Lawyers from Africa, Pacific and the Caribbean” Rome, Italy August, 2014. Now IDLO Alumni; Certificate Head Coach, Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, Vienna, Austria April, 2014;

Certificate – 2nd Annual Arbitration & Investment Forum, Nassau, The Bahamas – 2014; Certificate World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Transparency and the WTO: Notification Obligations – October 2014”;

Certificate  – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Market Access on Trade in Goods and Non-Agricultural Market Access” – May 2013;

Certificate – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Legal Underpinnings” – May 2013;

Certificate – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Agriculture Non- Market Access”- February 2013;

Certificate – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Technical Barriers to Trade” – April 2012;

Certificate – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Introduction to WTO” – April 2012;

Certificate – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Accession to the WTO” ;

Certificate – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Trade Finance and the WTO” ;

Certificate – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Trade and Development – English – Level 2” – Specialist Path” ;

Certificate – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “The WTO and Trade Economics: Theory and Policy” ;

Certificate – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Trade and Environment V2” Certificate World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures” Certificate World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Multilateral Trade Agreements”;

Certificate – World Trade Organization (WTO) – “Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights”;

Certificate – International Labour Organization/ International Training Centre – Distance Learning Participatory Labour Law Making Course, September – November 2011, Turin, Italy;

Certificate – Appointed Regional Expert and Examiner – Mutual Evaluation Examiners Training Workshop, Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, June 1-5, 2009 Trinidad and Tobago;

Certificate – Special Programme on Access to Justice, Strategies for Change, Public Administration International, 9-20 October, 2006, London, England;

LLM – University of London – King’s College London – 18 April, 1990 – Commercial and Corporate Insurance and Maritime Law;

LL.B – (Honours) Buckingham University, Buckingham, United Kingdom (1986).

A’ Levels – 6th Form Queens College High School, Nassau, The Bahamas –Four (4) Subjects;

Languages – Conversational Mandarin 1 – Confucius Institute, College of The Bahamas Fall 2012; Elective University of Buckingham Conversational German; G.C.E. French – B

CAREER/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL

• Deputy Law Reform & Revision Commissioner (June 2010 to February 2015) – Responsible for drafting legislation for the Government of The Bahamas, specifically assigned to reform and revise the Criminal Procedure Code, Chapter 91, the Penal Code, Chapter 84 and all Criminal Legislation; included Intercept Communications Bill, Amendments to the Evidence Act to allow for Electronic and videotaped evidence; Amendments to the Penal Code to allow for gang members to be charged and obstruction of Justice charges;
• Lecturer & Tutor Criminal Law (2014-2015) (University of The West Indies at The College of The Bahamas) now University of The Bahamas Criminal Law 2013-2014;
• Course Director Trial Advocacy (2011-2012) – Eugene Dupuch Law School, Students of Year I and Year II (Finals);
• Course Director Revenue Law (2014) UWI/COB;
• Course Director International Mooting (2013 – 2014) – University of the West Indies at the College of The Bahamas; now University of The Bahamas;
• (Acting) Director of Public Prosecutions – Periodic and frequent appointments by His Excellency, The Governor-General acting on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission – March 2004 – June 2010.
  • Duties included complete management and supervision of the Department of Public Prosecutions, in addition to duties of the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions outlined below.
• Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions – January 2001 to June 2010.
• APPEARENCES BEFORE THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL
  • Privy Council Appeals – carriage of most of the major criminal appeals involving the application of the death sentence, and appeal cases relating to dangerous drugs prosecutions and extraditions. Submissions in person, advanced in the following major death sentence appeals before the Privy Council – Steven Swaby, David Mitchell, Quincy Todd, Trevor Fisher – which included presenting a petition before the International Human Rights Committee of the Organisation of American States (OAS).
    • • Team member actively involved in advancing submissions before Her Majesty’s Privy Council on the mandatory nature of the death sentence in the Forrester Bowe & Trono Davis Privy Council appeal cases.
  • Making court appearances and representations on behalf of the Attorney-General, and or government ministries; advising the government on the state of major criminal prosecutions in The Bahamas; and international matters relating to serious commercial crime including money laundering, asset forfeiture, anti-terrorism, anti-money laundering, and mutual legal cooperation. Additional matters under carriage included interpretation & negotiation of treaties/conventions, the Transfer of Offenders Treaty under which Bahamians sentenced in foreign countries are transferred to The Bahamas to serve the remainder of their sentences, refugees and illegal immigrants, drafting memoranda of understanding pertaining to international criminal matters, and matters before the Industrial and Public Service Board of Appeal. Conduct of litigation arising there from.
  • Civil chambers, civil litigation, international matters for first ten (10) years within Office of the Attorney General.
  • Advising the government on various human rights issues arising under the Human Rights Conventions of which The Bahamas is a party.
  • Responsible for industrial tribunals, public service board of appeal matters.
  • Formulating and presenting responses on behalf of the Government of The Bahamas with respect to issues affecting The Bahamas’ international obligations.
  • Supervisory and Administrative duties – The daily supervision of the work, and conduct of criminal prosecutions by approximately thirty (30) attorneys, while ensuring that administrative resources are effectively utilized.
  • Preparation and review of the criminal prosecutions calendar for trials before the Courts of The Bahamas.
• Chief Counsel – August 1998-December 2000.
• Senior Crown Counsel – July 1995-July 1998
• Crown Counsel – January 1993-June 1995
• Assistant Crown Counsel – June 1990 –December 1993
• PUBLICATION
  • Wrote and presented on Wreck Commission of Inquiry – Bahamas
  • Wrote and presented a Paper on Witness & Justice Protection on behalf of the Government of The Bahamas, Meeting of Commissioners of Police and Military Chiefs, Caricom Ministerial Meeting, Bermuda, 5-9, June 2008
  • Wrote and presented a Statement on behalf of the Government of The Bahamas before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (June 26, 1998).
  • Lectures – Eugene Dupuch Law School, Royal Bahamas Police Training College, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Seminar for Parliamentarians, Anti-Terrorism Legislation, British Colonial Hilton, September 2004.

• ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DUTIES
  • Council of Legal Education
  • Organizational Co-chair – Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC)
  • OAS Anti-Corruption Mechanism Adopts Haiti Report, September 8-12th 2014
• Council of Legal Education – Regional Meeting Council of Legal Education,
  • Port of Spain Trinidad 4 th -6th September, 2014; attended by Attorneys-General
    • The Hon. Adriel Brathwaite–Barbados
    • The Hon. Mohabir Nandlall-Guyana
    • The Hon. Cajeton Hood – Grenada
    • The Hon. Jason Hamilton-St. Kitts & Nevis
    • The Hon. Levi A. Peter-Dominica Host Attorney-General –Trinidad & Tobago
• Course Director– Trial Advocacy Lecturer at The Eugene Dupuch Law School (2011-2012 with responsibility for students of Year I & Year II.
• Coordinated the Review of 405 matters in New Providence 52 matters, in Grand Bahama confirming availability of witnesses, status of the defendant, strength of the evidence, constitutional issues, recommendations for a Nolle Prosequi or a recommendation to proceed with prosecution; 2008
• Appointed as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee in May 2007 to enquire into charges against an Inspector of the Royal Bahamas Police Force – by Order No.16/2006.
• Organised numerous inter-office seminars on the following topics; enhancement of legal knowledge covering Taxation & Costs, Alternative dispute resolution, Forensic botany, DNA, Proceeds of Crime, Restraint & Confiscation Orders; May 2006, May 2007, 22-23 May 2008.
• Wreck Commission – Appointed as Lead Counsel for enquiry into shipping and maritime practices in The Bahamas, which required an extensive and comprehensive examination of The Bahamas’ Merchant Shipping Act, Merchant Shipping (Formal Investigation) Rules, Merchant Shipping Regulations and the legislation and practices relative to merchant shipping and those of other countries in addition to various international maritime conventions (2003-2004). This enquiry was the first of its kind in The Bahamas.
• Commission of Enquiry – Appointed junior counsel to Lead Counsel Mr Lwellyn Moore, QC on the legal and investigative team concerned with the examination of alleged corrupt practices of government – 1993.
• Coordinated local seminar of the Latin American & Caribbean Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance & Training (OPDAT) Criminal Division, US Department of Justice, 24-27 September 2001
• Spearheaded Ministerial Project – to review state of the evidence of criminal files, consider availability of witnesses, and consider possible constitutional issues and to conduct a pilot project to move the prosecution of criminal matters through the legal system of The Bahamas more efficiently and effectively. April – September 2006.
• Appointed as Acting Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit
• Appointed as internal legal advisor to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, 1994, stationed at Police Headquarters
• Appointed to judicial task force into case flow management on the criminal side in the Supreme Court
• Appointed press liaison officer – OAG
  • Responsible for coordination of appearances on national television enquiring into criminal law and practices with appearances from the President of the Bahamas Bar, OAG attorneys, the judiciary.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

• CFATF – XXXVIII Plenary Meeting, Freeport, The Bahamas, Nov, 2013
• CFATF – XXXVII Plenary Meeting; Managua, Nicaragua – 27 th to 29 th May, 2013
• FATCA Conference British Colonial Hilton; Nassau, Bahamas May 2013
• Regional Conference – United States Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act Workshop – 9 th April, 2013, British Colonial Hilton Hotel; Nassau, The Bahamas and facilitated by The United States Treasury Department, International Tax Counsel and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
• Conducted Review of government hiring and legal systems of government of St Vincent & Grenadines & Guyana – Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, Organization of American States, June 2008. (MESISIC)
• Appointed as the Representative for The Bahamas at a Seminar on the Mechanism for Follow-up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, December 3-8, 2007, Washington, D.C., USA. (MESISIC)
• Appointed to respond to an examination & review of the government hiring and legal systems of government on behalf of The Bahamas – Organization of American States, June 2007. (MESISIC)
• Appointed as a representative for The Bahamas to lead the response to an examination and review on behalf of The Bahamas at the CFATF, On-Site Examination of Mutual Evaluators, Meeting, May – June 2006. (MESISIC)
• Conducted Review of government hiring and legal systems of government – Argentina, December 2006. (MESISIC)
• Appointed as representative for The Bahamas in the Ministerial meetings, Organization of American States, Meeting of Ministers of Justice and Attorneys-General, REMJA, March 2006.
• Appointed as the Representative for The Bahamas at a Seminar on Money-Laundering, Asset Forfeiture and the Proceeds of Crime, Qatar, 14-18 November, 2005.
• Appointed as the Representative for The Bahamas at the Regional Course – International Human Rights & the Caribbean, May 10-14, 1999, Bridgetown, Barbados.