By: Ananda Latchman
W
as it the passion for the law or the love of the courtroom and its benches that kept this family in their black cloaks? Not one, not two, but currently, three generations of lawyers within the family hold Law degrees. First Generation - Jainarine Singh The tale of the Singh Lawyers began on 4th November 1909 when Jainarine Singh, the youngest of 6 children was born to Naranjan and Leila Somattie Singh at #48 Village Corentyne, Berbice. He graduated from Berbice High School then attained a Diploma at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad and Tobago; with a gold medal at the age of 22. On his return to Guyana he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture. During that time, he visited the home of Dr. J.B. Singh where he met Chandrawattie Singh; the eldest daughter; they got married in 1935.
In 1936, he and his newly married wife immigrated to Venezuela where he was employed by the Venezuelan Government in the Agriculture. Having spent in excess of 5 years there, with his two daughters, Nena and Graciella being born in Venezuela, he returned to Guyana in the early 1940s and purchased a citrus estate in Coverden, East Bank Demerara. The ongoing World War at the time propelled him to study law and in 1943 he started his long walk on the legal path. His first two years were spent in Guyana, but at that time final year qualifiers for the Bar had to be done in England. He qualified as a lawyer on September 30th, 1946; the same day his son Jainarayan Singh Jnr. was born. He joined the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) (the ruling party) on his return to Guyana and became Minister of Home Affairs in 1949, one of three Government Offices he would hold. The other two positions being Minister of Local Government under the PPP
Jainarine Singh when he was awarded the Simon Bolivar
66- to- Horizons his right -2014 former President Caldera
Jainarayan Singh as admitted to the Bar
he
was
and Minister of Agriculture under the People’s National Congress. In1953, when the British Government deposed the PPP, he once again returned to his law practice. Due to his extensive background in Agriculture, he became very prolific in land law and practised in both the High and Magistrates Courts of Guyana. His political desire was for Guyana to become an Independent nation. He worked assiduously towards that achievement and in 1966 when Guyana became independent he was
Three generation of Singhs - Jainarine (right), Jainarayan (left), Jaya (next to her dad)