Gutierrez Appointed Information Commissioner

February 27, 2015

Governor George Fergusson announced today [Feb 27] that he has appointed Ms Gitanjali Gutierrez to be the Information Commissioner, designated under section 50 of the Public Access to Information Act 2010 [PATI].

“Ms Gutierrez will take up her duties with effect from 2 March, ahead of the Act coming into force on 1 April,” a spokesperson said.

“Ms Gutierrez, who lives in Devonshire, has previously been senior staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights in the United States and has acted in a number of significant cases involving freedom of information.”

Mr Fergusson said: “Ms Gita Gutierrez has a distinguished record as a lawyer dealing with issues of public access to information in the US and, to some extent, the UK.

“She has impressive experience of leading a team in complex areas of legal interpretation and public scrutiny. I am very pleased that she will be taking on this important and difficult role.”

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Comments (17)

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  1. Cow Polly says:

    Congratulations Ms Gutierrez, from what I’ve read about your previous positions and experience I believe we are in good hands.

    • Mockingjay says:

      Ah, did I hear Bob say something like a FREEZE on hiring.

      • Inquiring minds says:

        Again we have the myopic memory.
        I believe the freeze on hiring covers all posts EXCEPT. Those essential or statutory requirements. The PATI goes into effect April first and the post of commissioner is required not optional.

  2. Unbelievable says:

    Yeah OBA – this is exactly what you are meant to be doing. Do all things the PLP could not, would not or chose to ignore.

    Well done!

    • mixitup says:

      Are you serious? This government has not impressed me at all, who are you fooling?

  3. Polly says:

    And we couldn’t get a Bermudian to do this job?!

    • Quinton Berkley Butterfield says:

      As I understand it, she is married to a Bermudian, so in my opinion, she is Bermudian.

    • hello? says:

      she is the spouse of a Bermudian – is that not good enough for you Polly?

      sheesh

    • Unbelievable says:

      We’ve never had this type of position in Bermuda before. It makes sense that this is first held by someone who knows what they are doing.

  4. Carlton Smith says:

    Congratulations OBA??? The governor made the appointment. The governor is not OBA.

  5. Hiring freeze?

    • OK how about says:

      She was interviewed and hired before the freeze probably.

      The official announcement was now.

  6. Scotty says:

    I think maybe the hiring freeze is a joke when you can grandfather in all the high paying jobs you like. What are the AG Chambers doing that they cannot accommodate this position? Efficiency and effectiveness is what is required. This hiring as you go nonsense is what got the Civil Service to where it currently finds itself. I wonder what the Ministry of Finance’s views are on this one? Sure they just hired yet another PS. Now what do they do?

  7. Terry says:

    “Ms. Gutierrez”.

    Married to a Bermudian.

    So is she a Gutierrez or a Bean or a Smith or a Talbot or a Jones, Lightbourne, Davis, DeSousa………………………………………