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Former Attorney General, Senior Counsel Doodnauth Singh , passed away yesterday at the Balwant Singh Hospital, evoking sadness in the political circles and sparking an outpouring of kudos as âone of the best legal mindsâ in the Region.Singh, 80, who also served as a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, presiding over the controversial 1997 General Elections, was admitted to the hospital earlier this week, before passing away around 19:00hrs. He had been ill for a number of years now. He resigned from the Attorney General position in 2009, and one month later sued the Government for his gratuity.He served as Attorney General between 2001 and 2009. Born in 1933, Singh was admittedDoodnauth Singhto the bar in 1959.Several government officials,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, including Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, were at the hospital last evening. So too was close family friend and Leader of the Alliance For Change, Khemraj Ramjattan.According to Minister of Legal Affairs, Attorney General, Anil Nandlall,NFL Jerseys China, the passing of Singh is a severe blow to Guyana and to the legal profession. According to Nandlall, the former AG was one of the best advocates he has ever encountered.âHe has participated in some of the biggest cases in Guyana. He was also part of the legal team in the trial of murder of Maurice Bishop (former Prime of Grenada) and in the trial of the Trinidad coup. He was well recognized in the Region.âNandlall described Singh as a mentor whom he started his legal work with at the AG office. âI would be eternally grateful to him for what I have learnt.âA lawyer who was described as being an expert in all forms of law, perhaps Singhâs greatest assets were his eloquence which served him with distinction in Parliament and the courtroom,Authentic Kyle Korver Hawks Jersey, which he commanded by his very presence.âYet despite this, he has remained a very humble man. His loss will be a tremendous blow for the legal profession.âMember of Parliament for A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), Joe Harmon, was also full of praise for the Senior Counsel. The Parliamentarian worked with the lawyer while he was Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission. âI was the Logistics and Security Officer. He was a very disciplined man with a mind of his own.âHowever, Harmon believed that GECOMâs work had taken a toll on Singh who never recovered his health fully after the troubled 1997 elections, which ended in street protests and a court case.âHe was a very warm person.âAccording to AFC leader Ramjattan, he was at the hospital yesterday during Singhâs final hours. âObviously,Sale NFL Jerseys, this is a deep shock for us although we knew he was ill. He was one of the greatest lawyers that Guyana has known. His prowess in the courtroom was of the highest standards. Despite being a fierce competitor in the courtroom, he would come out afterwards, shake hands with the opposing lawyers. He was a very likable lawyer. I will greatly miss himâMinister Manickchand said that President Donald Ramotar has been notified and âthere is no doubt that Mr. Singhâs passing is a great blow to Guyana, the Cabinet and the legal profession.âManickchand too was mentored by the former AG.In his final words of advice to the National Assembly in a farewell speech, back in 2009,Wholesale Jerseys Group, Singh urged a more civilised manner in the deliberations in the House. âHeckling is an art. It is not a means to transform the National Assembly into a fish marketâ¦People must be conscious of what this National Assembly isâ¦It is the highest forum of the landâ¦it is where the peopleâs business is to be debatedâ¦it must be debated in a civilized and decent atmosphere.âSingh was the Special Prosecutor in Grenada against Bernard Coard and others for the murder of the former Grenadian Prime Minister Bishop, among others.His final act as Minister of Legal Affairs was to successfully amend the Constitution of Guyana to establish a Parliamentary Oversight Committee which will examine the affairs of the Disciplined Forces.Meanwhile, President Ramotar in a statement said he is extremely saddened.âMr. Singh,Deion Sanders Falcons Jersey, also a Senior Counsel, was a man of high intellect, having amassed great experience during his legal life,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, both locally and internationally. He served Guyana with utmost distinction, pride and selflessness.âAccording to the Head of State, Singh has given decades of service to Guyana,Cheap Jerseys From China, most in the legal profession, in which he was known as an outstanding legal luminary. âPresident Ramotar and First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar,Wholesale Jerseys, on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana express deepest condolence to the family and friends of the late Doodnauth Singh.âPrime Minister, Sam Hinds, and his wife, Yvonne, also expressed shock, and recalled working with the former AG beginning in 1992. âHe was a very brilliant lawyer and Guyana has lost a good son of the soil.â |
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