Mama Fatima Singhateh (born October 1, 1974) is a Gambian lawyer, judge, and politician. Between 2009 and 2013, she was a judge in the High Court, then at the Court of Appeal of

The Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

. She subsequently served as

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

and

Attorney General of the Gambia The Attorney General of the Gambia is a cabinet-level position in the Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest cou ...

from 2013 to 2014, and again from 2015 to 2017. She currently serves as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children.

Early life and education

Singhateh had her basic and secondary-school educations in

Banjul Banjul (, (US) and ), officially the City of Banjul, is the capital city of The Gambia. It is the centre of the eponymous administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia's largest and most densely ...

, The Gambia. She received an LLB (Hons) degree from the

University of Hull The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hu ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in 1997, and a Masters in International Business Law there in 1998. Between 1998 and 1999 she completed the Bar Vocational Course at the University of Wales and was called to the Bar of England and Wales as Barrister.

Professional career

Before her appointment as Minister, Singhateh held several positions within the Attorney General's Chambers of The Gambia—as State Counsel in 2002, as Senior State Counsel, and as Principal Drafts person. Between 2007 and 2009 Singhateh branched into the private sector, where she headed the legal department at an international bank. She was then appointed Judge of the High Court of The Gambia.

Judicial career

In August 2009, on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, Singhateh was appointed Judge of the High Court by President Yaya Jammeh. She was then elevated to the Gambia Court of Appeal in 2012, where she served until her appointment as Minister of Justice. While at the Judiciary Justice, she was the project coordinator of the UNDP Justice Sector project.

Political appointments

In August 2013 Singhateh was appointed to the Cabinet of the Government of The Gambia to occupy the position of Attorney General and Minister of Justice. During her ministry the Ministry's premises were refurbished, and the Single Business Window Registry was launched. In 2015 her ministry spearheaded amendments in the Sexual Offences Act, outlawing the practice of

female genital mutilation in the Gambia Female genital mutilation in the Gambia is the practice of removing all or part of the female's genitalia for cultural reasons, believed by those who practice it to affect sexual purity and obedience and required before marriage in some communities. ...

. A year later, she led legislative efforts that resulted in the historical outlawing of child marriages in The Gambia. AG rwanda

She was relieved of her appointment as Minister of Justice in August 2014. In January 2015 she was reappointed Attorney General and Minister of Justice, positions which she held until 17 January 2017.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children

In March 2020, the

United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a United Nations Regional Gro ...

appointed Singhateh the UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children, replacing Maud de Boer-Buquicchio who had held the position since May 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singhateh, Mama Fatima Living people 21st-century Gambian judges Gambian women lawyers 21st-century Gambian women politicians 21st-century Gambian politicians Female justice ministers Attorneys general of the Gambia 21st-century women lawyers 1974 births