Attorney Bindra Dolsingh dies

ATTORNEY Bindra Dolsingh has died at 73.

His daughter Tamara Dolsingh said he died peacefully at home on May 17, surrounded by family.

Dolsingh was born on October 2, 1950. He was the son of the late Mona Dolsingh and attorney Seilochan Babsie Dolsingh.

He attended Boissiere RC Primary School and then Queen’s Royal College (QRC).
He was subsequently awarded a scholarship by the Trinidad and Tobago government, allowing him to do his bachelor of laws at the University of the West Indies' Cave Hill campus. He obtained his Legal Education Certificate (LEC) from the Hugh Wooding Law School and was admitted to the Bar in TT in 1976. Sometime thereafter, he was admitted to the Bar of Guyana.

Dolsingh began his career at the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs: first, at the Solicitor General’s Department, then at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), where he worked under DPP Ernest H Koylass.

After leaving the state, Dolsingh entered private practice. He was once junior counsel to Satnarine Sharma (former chief justice) as well as Desmond Allum, SC.

Tamara Dolsingh, herself an attorney, said it was not long after entering into private practice that Dolsingh began to make his name and win respect and recognition as a court advocate.

“He was particularly known in the criminal jurisdiction and for his cross-examination skills; the ability to conceptualise legal concepts; and to make subtle/fine distinctions in his arguments. Perhaps most significantly, Bindra appeared as a criminal advocate in over 50 cases before the Court of Appeal, one of the highest number of cases ever done by a criminal advocate before the TT Court of Appeal.”

She said some of the landmark cases he was involved in included Chuck Attin v the State, Aguillera and others v the State, and, most recently, Peter Radgman v the State.

“It is noteworthy, however, that Dolsingh had a general legal practice and was thus equally skilled in the civil jurisdiction and in non-contentious matters. His tenure ran simultaneously to his brother (deceased), Rangee Dolsingh, SC, former deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.”

His family firm, Dolsingh & Dolsingh & Co, worked on family law, adoptions, child custody, parental child abduction, marriage/divorce, insurance, banking/financial, commercial/business, foreign investment, marketing agreement, patents/trademarks/copyrights, civil, criminal, damages, narcotics, collections, contract, corporate, aeronautical/maritime, estate and auto/accidents cases.

Dolsingh was also involved in charity work, having served as chairman of the advisory board of the Salvation Army for a significant period. He was also the honorary representative of TT for the Royal Commonwealth Society.

He was a member of the  Law Reform Commission, and a tutor at the Hugh Wooding Law School, where he taught criminal practice and procedure.

Tamara Dolsingh said, “Separate and apart from Bindra’s astute legal mind and illustrious career, he maintained a sense of balance in his life. He enjoyed spending time with his family, going to Mayaro to spend the weekend, socialising, playing tassa, among other things.

“Overarchingly, Bindra was a loving individual with a pure heart and a person of compassion and empathy. He will be missed dearly by his loving wife Seeta and his children: Tahera and Kiran, as well as Tamara and Alexander who are both attorneys-at-law.”