Dawn Smith
{{Short description|British Virgin Islands lawyer}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Dawn Smith
|image = File:Dawn Smith, BVI Attorney General.png
|order = 27th
|office = Attorney General of the British Virgin Islands
|monarch = Elizabeth II
Charles III
|premier = Andrew Fahie
Natalio Wheatley
|appointer = Augustus Jaspert
|term_start = 1 October 2020
|term_end =
|predecessor = Baba Aziz
|successor =
|birth_name =
|birth_date =
|birth_place = Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party =
|spouse =
|relations =
|children =
|education = University of the West Indies (LEC, LLB)
Middlebury College (BLA)
}}
Dawn Smith is a British Virgin Islander lawyer who serves as the Attorney General of the British Virgin Islands since 2020.
Early life and education
Smith was born at Peebles Hospital in Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.{{Cite speech |last=Smith |first=Dawn |title=STATEMENT BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HONOURABLE DAWN J. SMITH AT THE FIFTEENTH SITTING of the SECOND SESSION of the FOURTH HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY |url=http://www.bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/statement-attorney-general-hon-dawn-j-smith-swearing-ceremony |author-link=Delia Smith |location=House of Assembly of the British Virgin Islands |date=1 October 2020 |accessdate=30 January 2023}} She holds a Legal Education Certificate from Norman Manley Law School in Kingston, Jamaica, a Bachelor of Laws, Upper Second Class Honours from the University of the West Indies, Barbados; and Bachelor of Liberal Arts, cum laude with Highest Honours in Sociology-Anthropology from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, USA.{{Cite press release |title=Dawn J. Smith Appointed Attorney General |date=2020-09-18 |publisher=Premier's Office Attorney General’s Chambers |url=https://bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/dawn-j-smith-appointed-attorney-general }} {{PD-notice}}
Career
Smith worked as an attorney at O'Neal Webster O'Neal Myers Fletcher & Gordon from 1997 to 2001. From 2002 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2012, she was an attorney at Conyers Dill & Pearman, from 2006 to 2009 she served as director of the London office. From 2013 to 2020, she was general counsel at the Financial Services Commission. From 2017 to 2019, she served as acting permanent secretary of the premier's office, where she supervised and coordinated the work of departments under the premier's portfolio; preparing and managing the ministry's annual budget; developing and implementing strategic plans and serving as an ex-officio member on statutory boards and organisations such as the BVI Tourist Board and BVI Finance.
= Attorney General =
In May 2020, Smith was selected as attorney general,{{Cite web |last=Kampa |first=Dana |date=2020-05-28 |title=Dawn Smith named new attorney general - The BVI Beacon |url=https://www.bvibeacon.com/dawn-smith-named-new-attorney-general/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |language=en-US}} with the premier naming a Virgin Islander.{{Cite web |date=2020-05-21 |title=Virgin Islanders to serve as Director of Public Prosecutions, Attorney General - The BVI Beacon |url=https://www.bvibeacon.com/vislander-dpp-agg/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |language=en-US}} On 18 September 2020, Smith was appointed by Augustus Jaspert as Attorney General of the British Virgin Islands, effective 1 October 2020. She was sworn in on 1 October 2020.{{Cite press release |title=Dawn J. Smith Sworn In As Attorney General |date=2020-10-01 |publisher=Office of the Governor Attorney General’s Chambers |url=https://bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/dawn-j-smith-sworn-attorney-general }}{{Cite web |date=2020-09-19 |title=Dawn J. Smith appointed VI Attorney General |url=https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/dawn-j-smith-appointed-vi-attorney-general |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=www.virginislandsnewsonline.com}} She is the seventh woman to be appointed as attorney general.{{Cite web |date=2020-09-20 |title=BVI appoints new Attorney General |url=https://caribbean.loopnews.com/content/bvi-appoints-new-attorney-general |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=Loop News |language=en}}
References
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External links
- [https://bvi.gov.vg/bios/honourable-dawn-j-smith Official Biography]
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{{s-bef|before=Baba Aziz}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Attorney General of the British Virgin Islands}}|years=2020–present}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Dawn}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:20th-century women lawyers
Category:British Virgin Islands lawyers
Category:Attorneys general of the British Virgin Islands
Category:Middlebury College alumni
Category:People from Road Town
Category:University of the West Indies alumni
Category:Female justice ministers
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