When 28-year-old Dexter Smartt was admitted to the local bar to practice law in Guyana last week, it marked the latest step in his journey in service to others others.
His petition was presented by his cousin, attorney-at-law Faye Ann Barker, to Acting Chief-Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire at the Demerara High Court on Wednesday.
The new attorney, who currently works alongside attorney-at-law, Dexter Todd, said that in his younger years he did not have his sights set on the field of law, but grew fond of the career after years of volunteer work brought him to the realisation that he had a passion for bringing access to justice for those who are usually unrepresented or under-represented.
Smartt, who hails from Jonestown, Mahaica, began his academic journey at the Helena Nursery School, then the Helena Primary School where he gained a place at the North Georgetown Secondary School and subsequently attained nine CSEC passes.
He then went on to Nations 6th Form College and graduated with an ‘A’ Level Diploma from the University of Cambridge where he read for courses including Law, Psychology, and Environmental Science. During this time, the young lawyer began volunteering with the Varqua Foundation as a teacher to help underprivileged students in the Tiger Bay area and youths in Indigenous villages across the country.
When Smartt was asked what drove him to become a volunteer, he stated, “I believe it’s my civic duty as a citizen of the earth to assist others. I also remember the days I had nothing and needed assistance … Likewise, I rather help to fix the issues in society than complain about them. So I chose to be more active in solutions to the problems rather than complaining and posting about them.”
The 28-year-old continued to serve as a volunteer for many other organisations even during his time of reading for a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations at the University of Guyana (UG). After completing those studies, he went straight to the law programme to read for his law degree.
“I’ve always been interested in service to others so when I was doing international relations, in my third year, I did international law and the then HoD [Head of Department] of law who was the lecturer of that course encouraged me to do law. He highlighted that I can be of better service to the people I want to assist if I’m a lawyer,” he said, while adding that law was a good choice as it would assist anyone to further their careers in other fields.
During this time, Smartt was an active member of UG’s Law Society school outreach programme and was then elected public relations officer for the society from 2016 to 2017. He then served as the final year students’ representative to the university’s law society during 2017 and 2018. Among Smartt’s many accomplishments during this time was being one of the contributors to two books published by Ram & McRae – the “Value Added Tax Handbook”, and the “Companies Act Handbook”
Life at HWLS
Subsequently, Smartt graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in Law in 2018 and gained entry to the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) in Trinidad to read for his Legal Education Certificate (LEC). Smartt told Stabroek News that the journey at HWLS was a bit challenging but he was initially excited about studying abroad.
He recalled, “I was never afraid about changing location, I was very excited. My doctors made all the arrangements for me [Smartt had pre-existing medical conditions and at the time needed to have his medical records at a health facility in Trinidad in case of emergencies], my family assured me of the support I’ll receive, so I was ready. Trinidad wasn’t like Guyana but I adjusted well.”
While studying at HWLS, Smartt served as the Law School’s representative to the Guyana Students Association in Trinidad and noted that he was active on almost every other committee and group during his time at the law school.
Completing his last year in law school, Smartt said, was definitely a challenge as the COVID-19 pandemic brought added pressure along with having to study. The young attorney noted that he was able to push through as he had a good support system.
“I had a very good and effective support system. My friends, family, and school administration, gave me the support I needed. My family was always there for me and my friends were the topping on the cake. I can never complain about not having the support,” he cheerily said. Further he mentioned that during the initial outbreak in Trinidad, he had spent a lot of time assisting others, working along with the school to address students’ issues. He added that he had also tried to stay social by using online mediums as they were not allowed to have social gatherings due to the enforced COVID-19 protocols.
The examination period he said however was rough as he noted, “it was the hardest exams I’ve ever had.”
Smartt told this newspaper that one achievement that he is most proud of is started the “Ubuntu Foundation,” which is focused on youth empowerment through education, in 2019. The foundation is also focused on advocating for better access to justice and legal representation for Indigenous people in the regions along with working on the reintegration of Indigenous persons back into their communities after serving prison sentences.
“Ubuntu is short for the Zulu phrase ‘Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu’, it means ‘I am because we are’. This organisation will be self-funded, I will focus on ensuring we have proper legal representation for indigenous persons and interpreters if they don’t understand English properly. It will also focus on getting them home after their rehabilitation period and reintegrating them into society.”
It was this passion of service to Indigenous communities that landed Smartt a scholarship from the United Nations and Guardian Group to pursue a Diploma in Global Leadership currently at the United Nations- established University of Peace.
After having his petition accepted, Smartt in his maiden presentation as an attorney-at-law, stated that it was an honour to have his petition presented before the Chief Justice and cited her as an inspiration to his law journey so far. He noted that over the years he has admired her wealth of knowledge, judgments and fairness.
The young attorney also thanked Barker for presenting his petition to the court and stated that she was the first lawyer that he had met and has been a great example to him even while supporting his journey from his secondary school years through to law school.
“My mentors, retired Chancellor, Justice Carl Singh, and former President and former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds (Uncle Sam), you all contributed significantly to my life. Justice Singh went beyond what was required of him to ensure I stayed the course,” Smartt told the court.
The Chief Justice in admitting the first attorney to the bar for 2021, stated that she was happy to have the petition brought before her and was pleased by Smartt’s extensive Curriculum Vitae, which included over eleven years of volunteer work and continuous study.
In accepting Smartt’s petition, she noted that he has entered the law profession with extensive knowledge, already setting the bar very high for himself. She urged that as he presses on in the field that he continue to raise the bar to be among the best in the profession.
The newly-admitted attorney intends to begin studies for his Master’s Degree in Environmental Law in the coming months.
