Attorney-at-law John S. Bassie was recently elected as president of the Jamaican Bar Association. He replaces Alexander Williams who served as president for one term.
Bassie was nominated and elected unopposed at the annual general meeting of the Jamaican Bar Association, on June 24 at the Norman Manley Law School Lecture Theatre in Mona, St Andrew. His vice-president is attorney-at-law Kevin Powell.
The Jamaican Bar Association is celebrating 50 years this year. According to Bassie, the association has made significant strides in the last 50 years and is poised to achieve even greater things in the next 50 years. As part of his mandate, Bassie intends to encourage younger attorneys-at-law at the Bar to get involved.
“We have a shared vision of our young leaders,” he said, “and members leading the Jamaican Bar Association to greater heights for another 50-year milestone.” Bassie is also global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).
Having enjoyed a distinguished career for over 21 years in the Caribbean, North America, the United Kingdom and Africa, he served on the ADR working groups at the United Nations. He also had a career as Corporate Director of Management Accountant in a Blue-Chip Corporation with groups in North America, Europe and Asia reporting to his position.
CIArb is a global membership and professional body dedicated to effective dispute resolution with worldwide membership of 17,500 in over 150 jurisdictions. He is also the chairman of the Dispute Resolution Foundation. Other members of the executive are: Sylvan Edwards, honorary secretary; Christopher Henry, honorary treasurer; Malike Kellier, assistant secretary; Pauline Brown Rose, assistant treasurer, and Annette Francis Barnett, secretariat liaison.
