Created: October 26, 2024 07:55

Information Commissioner Gitanjali Gutierrez

A new information commissioner for Bermuda is being sought, as lawyer Gitanjali Gutierrez prepares to leave the post she has held for a decade early next year.

The government has advertised locally and abroad for the high-profile position, worth $196,000 a year, with the deadline for applications set for next Thursday.

The statutory term is for an initial period of five years, although it can be renewed for an additional period of five years, as happened in the case of Ms. Gutierrez.

She was appointed by former Governor George Fergusson after working as senior counsel at the Center for Constitutional Rights in the United States, where she represented detainees at Guantánamo Bay.

A graduate of Bucknell University and Cornell Law School, where she served as an assistant professor of law, her legal career has focused particularly on civil rights issues.

Ms Gutierrez is Bermuda’s first Information Commissioner, having taken office on March 2, 2015, as the long-awaited Public Access to Information Act 2010 came into force.

More than 200 ICO decisions on whether to disclose public documents have been published since then. Last year, Ms. Gutierrez issued 55 decisions, an increase of 62 from the previous year, and the backlog of pending ICO cases was reduced from 24 to 15.

Ms. Gutierrez wrote in her office’s 2023 newsletter annual report: “Since its inception, the ICO has faced a backlog of reviews resulting from both internal and external challenges. My office’s delay has burdened public authorities and undermined the rights of the public.

“This year marked a turning point in addressing this gap. »

Flyer for the position of Information Commissioner (Photograph courtesy of www.ico.bm)

The announcement posted by the government on websites including the Bermuda Jobs Board and The Guardian British newspaper, says its role is to “raise public awareness of the rights conferred” by the Pati Act, to work with public authorities to ensure they understand their obligations, to adjudicate disputes over the disclosure of information and to lead a small team of investigators. and officers.

It says: “The appointee will be the face of the ICO and will be required to establish a public profile to explain decisions, raise awareness of the rights and obligations created by law and provide information to the public.

“In addition, the incumbent will be expected to establish appropriate working relationships with senior officials to help continually improve the quality of decision-making, encourage compromise and resolve disagreements and conflicts.

“The successful candidate will therefore demonstrate a commitment to integrity in the public service, excellent judgment under pressure and strong and sensitive leadership.

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in law, public administration or another relevant discipline and have at least ten years of management experience, including five in a management position.

Bermuda Dill LaKai was confirmed as deputy information commissioner two weeks ago.