Antigua and Barbuda Attorney General Justin L Simon, QC, says the murder of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal is not only a loss for T&T but a loss for the Caribbean. Simon, who worked with Seetahal at a regional level, was contacted by the T&T Guardian yesterday for comment on her assassination. Via e-mail, he extended “heartfelt sympathies” on behalf of the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda. He said Seetahal’s loss “will be keenly felt for a very long time.”
“It is a sad day indeed when an independent and outspoken person loses her life in such a premeditated violent and callous manner. The loss is made greater given the fact that (Seetahal) has long been making a meaningful contribution to the education of the society on matters legal, as an author, law tutor, legal practitioner, and prosecutor,” he said. Simon described Seetahal as one of the region's bright criminal-law advocates who “contributed immensely to fora on criminal practice and procedure and relevant legal issues of the day.”
On a personal level, he said, “I knew her and that first-impression cynical twist of her mouth, but she was an engaging personality who was always willing to share her knowledge and expertise for the betterment of a Caribbean society, to which she was devoted.” Her loss, he said, could truly be considered “a Caribbean loss, and its tragic circumstances imperatively brought to the fore the issues of crime, security, and the general wellbeing of our regional societies.”