RETIRED Justice Winston Lennox McLennon Moore, serving as Ombudsman, passed away on Friday night after a period of illness.Justice Moore assumed the post of Ombudsman on January 13, 2014, filling a position that had been vacant for eight years. His duties were to investigate and resolve complaints by citizens with the aim of identifying issues that lead to poor service or breaches of citizens’ rights.

The Ministry of the Presidency noted that Justice Moore began his legal career as an attorney-at-law in 1983, and was appointed a High Court Judge in 1998. He also served as the Judge Advocate for the Guyana Defence Force in 2007, before assuming the post of Ombudsman.

“His Excellency Brigadier David Granger, MSS, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, extends heartfelt sympathy to (the wife of Justice Moore) Ms. Viera Moore and children: Nichole, Gary, Gavin and Kevin, as well as other family members and friends of the late Justice Winston Moore”, the Ministry of the Presidency stated.

Justice Moore presided over a number of cases, including the high-profile treason trial of activist Mark Benschop. After spending five years in prison, Benchop was later pardoned by former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

While serving in his last portfolio, Justice Moore had indicated that another activist, columnist and former University of Guyana lecturer, Freddie Kissoon, was wrongfully dismissed from the tertiary institution in January 2012, and had recommended that Kissoon be compensated by the university.

He also investigated a claim by former Chief Executive of the New Building Society (NBS), Maurice Arjoon, that there was a multiplicity of wrongs done to him by two senior managers of NBS. He concluded that Mr. Arjoon and his colleagues Kent Vincent and Kissoon Baldeo, who were dismissed from the employ of the NBS, had suffered an “injustice”, as he found no credible evidence of wrongdoing against them.

The Office of the Ombudsman was created in 1967; its jurisdiction was however extended in 1971 to include certain public corporations and local government organs. When the new constitution was extended in 1980, it continued the Office of the Ombudsman as contained in Articles 191-196 of the Constitution.