Her Excellency
Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam
16th Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands
Assumed office
29 June 2023
MonarchCharles III
PremierWashington Misick
Preceded byNigel Dakin
14th Governor of Anguilla
In office
18 January 2021 – 1 June 2023
MonarchsElizabeth II
Charles III
PremierEllis Webster
Preceded byTim Foy
Succeeded byPerin Bradley (acting)
Paul Candler (acting)
Julia Crouch
Personal details
Alma materUniversity of London

Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam is a British lawyer and civil servant who has served as Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands since 29 June 2023.[1] She served as Governor of Anguilla between 2021 and 2023.[2]

Civil service

Daniel-Selvaratnam is of Sri Lankan Tamil descent.[3] She was called to the bar in 1999, and earned an LL.M. in Public International Law from the University of London in 2000. She completed her pupillage during 2000–2001 at 9 King's Bench Walk and 1 Inner Temple Lane.[4]

From 2004 to 2007, Daniel-Selvaratnam was a policy advisor at the Department for Constitutional Affairs. She worked in different capacities at the Ministry of Justice from 2007 to 2015: Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Justice (2007–2010), Secretary to the Omand Review (2010), Deputy Head of Offender Management Strategy (2010–2011), and Deputy Director of Strategy and Change for HM Courts and Tribunals Service (2011–2015). Changing departments, she served for two years as Director of Strategy and Change for the Insolvency Service. In 2017, she joined the Cabinet Office as a Director for the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.[4]

Governor

Daniel-Selvaratnam's appointment as Governor of Anguilla was announced on 28 November 2020; she would be the second female governor of the territory after Christina Scott.[5] She arrived in Anguilla on 15 January 2021, and began her duties remotely due to the 15-day quarantine mandate.[6] She attended her swearing-in ceremony over video link on 18 January 2021.[2] On 21 January 2021, she addressed a meeting of the Executive Council,[6] and later met the opposition members of the House of Assembly.[7] On 26 January 2021, she swore in a new magistrate, Piyumini Weeratunga, who had previously served as a magistrate in Montserrat.[8]

After completing her quarantine, Daniel-Selvaratnam toured the Princess Alexandra Hospital[9] and the "hotel belt".[10] She followed up these visits with an island-wide tour. In each district, she met with the representing MP and local residents; she also discussed the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine rollout.[11]

On 15 December 2022, the Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office announced that Daniel-Selvaratnam would be succeeding Nigel Dakin as Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands in June 2023.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Turks and Caicos swears in Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam". Loop Caribbean News. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Governor breaks into prayer at swearing-in ceremony". The Anguillian Newspaper. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  3. ^ Sarojini, P. (1 December 2020). "Sri Lankan-origin Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam appointed as the new Governor of Anguilla". Commonwealth Union. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  4. ^ a b "New Governor of Anguilla: Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam" (Press release). Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Anguilla's new governor a former lawyer". The Anguillian Newspaper. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b "New governor committed to Anguilla's progress". The Anguillian Newspaper. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Governor meets with opposition members". The Anguillian Newspaper. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Governor swears in new magistrate for Anguilla". The Anguillian Newspaper. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Governor tours Princess Alexandra Hospital". The Anguillian Newspaper. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Governor visits Anguilla's hotels". The Anguillian Newspaper. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Governor meets people, businesses on district tours". The Anguillian Newspaper. 8 February 2021. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Change of Governor of Turks and Caicos Islands: Ms Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam". GOV.UK. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
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Government offices Preceded byTim Foy Governor of Anguilla 2021–2023 Succeeded byJulia Crouch
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