Latest update October 14th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 14, 2015 News
“As a judge I thoroughly enjoy the job and get a sense of justice being served, at least in my court.”
By Rehanna Ramsay
He is maybe best known for his stringent sentencing policy and for presiding over some of the most talked
about criminal trials in recent years.
Most people may never forget the combined 202-year sentences he imposed in the Neesa Gopaul murder trial, on Bibi Shareema Gopaul and Jarvis Barry Small, or the 78-year sentence given to Tyrone Rowe called ‘Cobra,’ for a robbery/murder in September 2013.
Thus, most persons would associate the name, Justice Navindra Singh, with high profile criminal trials or lengthy sentences; but there‘s certainly more to this judicial arbitrator than meets the eye. He is a husband, a father, an avid cricket enthusiast and most of all, a very humble man. He was also an Associate Lecturer in the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Guyana.
In just a few short years, this week’s ‘special person’ has risen to prominence in the criminal justice system, gained a reputation for efficiency and has earned the respect and admiration of his peers as well as law-abiding members of the public.
Some may find it hard to believe, but Justice Singh is quite friendly and charismatic. He also possesses a strong sense of humour. During our brief interactions, he spoke candidly about his concern for people in the interest of justice.
He reassured that his decisions and policies are only in the interest of law: rather than a personal crusade or carrying out a vendetta. Since his appointment in 2012, Justice Singh has completed 75 cases, 66 of which went to trial; 53 of which went to the jury.
What is most strange though is the fact that someone, who had in his earliest days
desired a career in medicine, ended-up being an esteemed Supreme Court Judge.
EARLIEST DAYS AND UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY
Navindra Anand Singh was born June 8, 1973 at Suddie Hospital, and spent his early childhood in the quiet countryside of Zorg, Essequibo.
Reflecting on his childhood, he recalls that his mother, Gendmattie Singh and father Dyal Singh, a practicing Attorney-at-law, only decided to move to Georgetown to facilitate their children’s education.
“My brother had passed to go to QC (Queen’s College) 1977 and then my sister, Kamini, passed to go to QC in 1978 and so the family moved to Georgetown and I attended Stella Maris,” he related, adding that the move was not a permanent one since the family would return to Essequibo during the Easter, August and Christmas vacation periods.
Reminiscing on those days, Justice Singh noted that he had quite a happy upbringing. He attributes his sense of independence to the scope his mother gave him and his siblings, while growing up. “She allowed us to set our own pace,” he said.
In 1983, the Singhs were faced with an unspeakable tragedy. Their eldest son, Shiva, was kidnapped and brutally murdered. Justice Singh recalled that it was just a few weeks short of his brother‘s 17th birthday. He was just 10 years old, at the time.
“I was very young. It‘s not that I forgot, but at the time it was happening I guess I didn’t
really know what exactly was happening. All I knew is that my brother had died.”
Three persons were arrested and charged for the murder. They were subsequently convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to life imprisonment.
EDUCATION
In 1984, Singh, the youngest of his siblings, completed his Primary education and went on to attend Queen’s College. In 1990, at the age of 17, he migrated to the United States, where he attended St. John’s University (NY). While in New York, Singh shared an apartment with his sister, who was five years his senior.
At that time he had his hopes set on career field of medicine. It might have been his love for mathematics and science, the judge reflected, which drew him towards a career in nuclear medicine. He was advised to acquire a first degree in Biology at the University before applying for the medical programme.
“I wanted to study nuclear medicine so I did my first degree in Biology” he said. He momentarily spoke of his fascination with the study of applying radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
TWIST OF FATE
Perhaps it was a twist of fate that Singh completed a B.Sc. in Biology a semester early and
returned to Guyana in December 1993. It was during this time that his father convinced him to enter the Law programme at the University of Guyana.
Singh said that he took up the offer and never looked back.
He noted though that “it was a big change because I liked Science and Math. I think the first year was a bit difficult in the sense that it was a new way of thinking, but things went smoothly after that.”
After obtaining his LL.B. from the University of Guyana in 1998, Singh headed for Hugh Wooding Law School, (HWLS) in Trinidad. At Hugh Wooding, he was the winner of the Principal’s Award for Advocacy, winner of the annual debating competition, a member of the Constitutional Committee and a student representative of the Joint Consultative Committee.
While there, he also successfully represented the HWLS in the Inter-Caribbean Mooting Competition. “We won the shield that year,” Justice Singh stated in delight.
Navindra Singh graduated from Hugh Wooding with his Legal Education Certificate in 2001. After his admission to the bar that same year, he went into private practice in Guyana in the civil jurisdiction of the High Court; the Court of Appeals and in the criminal jurisdiction of the
Magistrates’ Court and the High Court.
A few years later, the young attorney wrote the New York State Bar examination and was admitted to practice in New York State in 2005. He was later admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (2007), the United States District Court (Southern District of New York) (2008) and the United States District Court (Eastern District of New York) (2009).
It was during this time that he married the charming Rinee. The couple subsequently migrated and had two children, Anushka and Naveen.
In New York, Singh practiced in the Civil and Criminal jurisdiction of the County Courts and the Supreme Courts of New York and in the Immigration Court of the United States.
Justice Singh, soon became a member of the American Mensa society; an elite group comprising persons of high IQs around the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardized, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test.
On Guyana’s shores, during his private practice, he conducted more than 30 civil and commercial trials at better than an 85% success rate, and was successful in an excess of 100 summary judgment motions.
As an attorney, Singh said that he did a lot of pro bono work. “I enjoyed the practice, you feel a sense of fulfillment because you get an opportunity to help people.”
He successfully argued six out of seven appeals in the Court of Appeal and secured acquittals in five out of five murder trials at the Assizes.
BEING JUSTICE SINGH
In the Magistrates’ Courts, Singh conducted more than 50 trials with more than a 95% success rate.
On October 29, 2012, he was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Guyana. The appointment came after Singh attended an interview with the Judicial Service Commission, (JSC).
“I had become bored with the practice and saw my appointment to judgeship as a good change. As a judge I thoroughly enjoy the job and get a sense of justice being served, at least in my court,”
While he enjoys his current position, Justice Singh admits that there is a lot room for improvement in the current judicial system.
Pointing out a few challenges, Justice Singh said it would be useful to have a voice recording system or court reporters record the evidence in criminal trials.
He noted that the implementation of such mechanisms will significantly aid the process.
Since his appointment, Justice Singh has recorded over 6,000 pages of written evidence
According to the judge, court security is another source for concern.
“Despite whatever sentences I have shared out, I personally don’t feel threatened. I go places and people are usually nice to me… But I believe for security reasons, there should be a system where persons are searched, and checked before entering the courtrooms,” he said.
“I am told by my father that the Judiciary of Guyana was highly respected in the Caribbean, in the ‘70s and ‘80s… I believe we can attain that level of respect again.”
Given his experience overseas Justice Singh has a number of practical ideas for improving the judiciary and towards this end he knows that he can make a worthwhile contribution to the enhancement of the judiciary, if ever in the position to do so.
But for now, Justice Singh is content in his position as a judge and is pleased to be an officer of the judiciary, having the capacity of ensuring that justice is served.
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