Weekes: ‘Dana was like a jep’

Late attorney Dana Seetahal could not ask to be better remembered by family, colleagues and friends than with a tribute to her work, A Necessary Voice, with readings from her columns from 1997-2014 on the fifth anniversary of her death.

Friends of Mr Biswas, in collaboration with NALIS and Seetahals' family came together at the Law Association’s office on Frederick Street, Port of Spain on Thursday to remember and pay their respects to the woman who many knew as a powerhouse in the court room, a serious voice in the Parliament, and one who fearlessly voiced her own opinions.

Seetahal was shot dead on May 4, 2014, while on her way home. Hers was a murder that rocked, not only the legal fraternity, but the entire country.

Seetahal clearly demonstrated that she was her own person as President Paula-Mae Weekes read from her column, "I do not understand why some persons cannot appreciate that I am not here to represent their point of view. I represent my own..."

During her reading, Weekes described Seetahal as a "jep." They formed a strong bond as they climbed the legal ladder together and, as there were few women in the profession at time, they went through the courts fearlessly.

"We began at DPP together. There were not many women there at that time and we considered ourselves the fearless females of the DPP department. Now you see my size I could afford to be fearless, but Dana was just like a jep, and I must say to some extent I patterned her as we went through criminal courts wreaking havoc. We were taking nothing from anybody, far less any male attorney at law."