T&T lawyer admitted to Guyana Bar
Following the Admission Ceremony yesterday, Justice Barlow entertained, in court, the new lawyer, Ms Ria Mankee-Sookram and her friends.
Left to right are Madam Justice Barlow, Mrs. Ramlall, Miss Ria N. Mankee-Sookram, and Miss Wanda Fortune
Following the Admission Ceremony yesterday, Justice Barlow entertained, in court, the new lawyer, Ms Ria Mankee-Sookram and her friends. Left to right are Madam Justice Barlow, Mrs. Ramlall, Miss Ria N. Mankee-Sookram, and Miss Wanda Fortune

HIGH Court Judge Jo-Ann Barlow yesterday admitted Trinidad-born lawyer Ria N. Mankee-Sookram to the Guyana Bar as the new lawyer set out on a journey to practise her profession throughout the Caribbean.The 34-year-old lawyer was called to the Bar in Trinidad and Tobago in 2012.

Justice Barlow told the young woman: “The profession is both challenging and rewarding, and many tests lie ahead of you. You may prepare and prepare well and find results that are in your favour, and with equal preparedness, results in another case may go another way.

“Never let the success or failure of any matter guide your conduct in any matter, except to cure mistakes. Always strive to do your best; then, whatever the result, you will find it a rewarding exercise.”

Attorney-at-law Mrs. Simone Morris-Ramlall, who presented the petition of Mankee-Sookram, said the new lawyer was the second of three daughters born to Sanora Mankee-Sookram and Michael Sookram. Her older sister is an embryologist, and the younger one is a petroleum geo-scientist.

Ms. Mankee-Sookram’s mother was a sales attendant in a family fishing business, and her father was a customs manager. Both parents are now enjoying their retirement and basking in the satisfaction of their children’s achievements.
After completing her studies, Mrs. Morris-Ramlall told the judge I presenting the petition, “Your petitioner decided to pursue a Law degree with the intention of later burrowing into oil and gas law. She attended the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, where she received a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2010, and then graduated from the Hugh Wooding Law School with the Legal Education Certificate in 2012. Your petitioner is currently pursuing a post-graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering and Management at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, and is expected to graduate in December 2016.

“Your petitioner seeks to be admitted to practise in the courts of Guyana, as she wishes to contribute to developing a robust Caribbean jurisprudence. This is commendable, in my estimation, Your Honour, as it demonstrates a willingness to share her wide range of expertise and skills with her Caribbean neighbours.”

In her reply, Ms Mankee-Sookram thanked the Judge for her words of guidance, and Mrs. Morris-Ramlall for presenting her petition. She added, “Today, for me, represents a journey to be part of a regional jurisprudence.

“Guyana made the fearless leap and took the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final court of appeal; and that is something I hope that other Caribbean countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, would get on board with. It is certainly, I think, one way of developing a regional jurisprudence.”

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