Malene Chagni Alleyne, a 39-year-old Jamaican attorney-at-law with a passion for promoting human rights and Caribbean integration was admitted to the local bar on Tuesday 9th November, 2021, by the Honourable Madam Justice Damone Younge.
Her petition was presented by eminent Attorney Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon in association with Siand Dhurjon, who told the Court a little about the petitioner’s life since she completed the two-year course of studies, assignments, examinations and practical training for the Legal Education Certificate at the Norman Manley Law School, Jamaica, West Indies.
She is currently an Attorney-at-Law in good standing of the Supreme Court of Jamaica having been admitted to practice before that Honourable Court on November 11, 2011.
After her admission to the Jamaican Bar, she joined the Firm of Myers, Fletcher & Gordon where she worked as an Associate Attorney from 2011 to 2013.
Thereafter, she joined the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Washington, D.C. where she worked until 2016 as a Human Rights Specialist, carrying out the initial evaluation of petitions against OAS Member States, trained interns and fellows and received an award for outstanding performance in 2016.
Ms. Alleyne was involved as a Researcher from July to October 2017 at the Harvard International Human Rights Clinic, Cambridge, MA where she assisted with the litigation of Mamani et al v. Sánchez de Lozada and Sánchez Berzaín, an Alien Tort Statute case against the former President of Bolivia and his Minister of Defence for their roles in the commission of crimes against humanity. She conducted legal research, prepared memoranda and legal briefs of Spanish language documents.
Mrs. Persaud-McKinnon spoke of her Petitioner’s other notable involvements as a Legal consultant at Avocats Sans Frontières Canada from July – Aug. 2018 where she conducted a mission to Haiti to coordinate a project related to seeking justice for victims of crimes against humanity committed during the dictatorship period.
Attorney-at-Law Vidushi Persaud who has thus far enjoyed 20 years of practice at the local Bar indicated she would tell young attorneys the importance of reading and researching and knowing where to find the law.
She was pleased to note that Ms. Alleyne has mastered this having conducted research and prepared documents in English and French and worked from October – December 2017 at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Washington, D.C. as a Refugee Status Determination Associate (Temporary Appointment).
Currently, Malene Alleyne is the Founder and Executive Director of Freedom Imaginaries Limited based in Kingston, Jamaica.
Honourable Madam Justice Damone Younge then proceeded to grant the said petition and admit Malene Alleyne in what will forever be remembered as a beautiful virtual proceeding.
Justice Younge then proceeded to offer words of advice based on her decades of esteemed service.
Ms. Alleyne in an invited statement opined: “It was an honour to be called to the Guyana Bar by Ms. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon. I was so moved by the words of encouragement from the Hon. Madam Justice Damone Younge, who also reminded me of my important duty to the bench and the bar, and to the people of Guyana. I look forward to working with the Guyanese community and the wider Caribbean region to advance human rights through the law. Together, we can build a region in which every person lives in equal dignity and Harmony with Nature.”
