Jason Outerbridge & Hector Watson Join ICO
Information Commissioner Gitanjali Gutierrez announced that Mr. Jason D. Outerbridge has joined the Information Commissioner’s Office as the Assistant Information Commissioner and Mr. Hector D. Watson will join as the Office Manager.
“We had a number of strong candidates for both positions in our new public office. It is an exciting opportunity to be a part of this historical development,” explained Information Commissioner Gitanjali Gutierrez.
“Mr. Outerbridge has years of public service experience, working with and studying issues of good governance, administrative law, social justice and human and constitutional rights,” stated Information Commissioner Gutierrez. “
We will all benefit from his work with public access to information laws in the United Kingdom and his knowledge of our Public Access to Information Act 2010. Mr. Outerbridge has a sophisticated understanding of the requirements for its effective oversight and use, as well as its potential as an important tool for accountability and effective democracy.”
Mr. Hector D. Watson will also be joining the Information Commissioner’s Office in mid-August to serve as the Office Manager. He will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the ICO and the effective management and administration of the ICO office.
“We have significant challenges establishing the structures, policies and procedures for the new office,” stated Information Commissioner Gutierrez. “Mr. Watson’s experience in business management, accounting, law enforcement, regulatory practices, and consulting will be a tremendous resource. His long-standing commitment to public service is also consistent with the mandate of our office and will make him a resource for the public.”
“I very much look forward to the contributions that Mr. Outerbridge and Mr. Watson will make to the development of the Information Commissioner’s Office and the promotion of the PATI Act,” said Information Commissioner Gutierrez.
Jason D. Outerbridge, Assistant Information Commissioner
Jason D. Outerbridge is joining the Information Commissioner’s Office as the Assistant Information Commissioner in July 2015.
Mr. Outerbridge brings over a decade of public service experience, with a focus on good governance, administrative law, social justice and human and constitutional rights, including experience with public access to information laws in the United Kingdom.
While studying in the UK, Mr. Outerbridge also closely examined our Public Access to Information Act 2010, developing a sophisticated understanding of the requirements for its effective oversight and use.
Mr. Outerbridge was educated at the Berkeley Institute and Bermuda College before obtaining his AAS Degree from Columbia Union College [now Washington Adventist University] in 2002. Mr. Outerbridge then pursued his legal education with a focus on constitutional law, administrative law, civil and criminal justice, and human rights. He earned his LL.B [First-class Hons] from Middlesex University [London, England, UK] in 2010. During university, Mr. Outerbridge served on the Executive Board of the Law Society, co-founded Middlesex University’s Amnesty International chapter and mentored first-year law students. Mr. Outerbridge completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice [solicitor’s professional training] at the University of the West of England [Bristol, England, UK] in 2012. Before returning to Bermuda in early 2015, Mr. Outerbridge was pursuing post-graduate research at Birkbeck, University of London [London, England, UK] towards a PhD in constitutional law and critical legal studies. His research focused on the impact of post-colonialism and the sovereignty of the Bermuda Constitution upon our national and constitutional identity.
Mr. Outerbridge’s post-graduate research included evaluating the development of the PATI Act, particularly in comparison with international jurisprudence and best practices. His academic and policy research on the PATI Act is complemented by his own experience using freedom of information laws in the UK to obtain information relevant to Bermuda.
Throughout his education, Mr. Outerbridge worked and volunteered, frequently balancing his full-time studies with full-time employment. He gained experience with both public authorities and human rights organizations. Mr. Outerbridge served seven years as a Police Cadet and Constable with the Bermuda Police Service and later worked and consulted for the Bermuda Hospitals Board, the Ministry of Transport and the Ombudsman Office. He gained excellent investigative skills, as well as familiarity with the legislative process and organisation of Government and the civil service. During his post-graduate studies, Mr. Outerbridge was a member of the founding board of the Asian Women’s Foundation, establishing their governance structures, advising on relevant legislation and regulation, and providing advocacy for clients escaping forced marriage and domestic violence. He later provided research, analysis and advocacy for the Sutton Citizens Advice Bureau [Sutton, England, UK]. Throughout his education and career, Mr. Outerbridge has sought to apply his legal skills and passions to advocate for fair access to information, equality, justice and the rule of law.
Hector D. Watson, Office Manager
Hector D. Watson will be joining the Information Commissioner’s Office as our Office Manager in August 2015. With over thirty years’ experience in accounting, auditing, information technology, business management and forensic accounting, Mr. Watson enjoys rolling up his sleeves and working with his clients to solve their business problems. Immediately before joining the Information Commissioner’s Office, he provided business consulting, accounting and business management services to a number of clients in Bermuda. Mr. Watson also held positions ranging from a Financial Accountant to the Vice President of Operations to the Financial Controller with local and international companies, including Arthur Morris Christensen & Co., Bank of Bermuda Limited [now HSBC], Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited [BELCO], G-Trade Services Ltd. and I.I.D Partners Ltd.
Mr. Watson is one of the founding officers of the Bermuda Police Service’s Commercial Crime Unit and has also consulted on a variety of local and international business projects. Further, he has a long-standing commitment to public service, having served as an Accounting and Mathematics Lecturer at the Bermuda College, Westgate Correctional Facility and the Community Education & Development Programme.
Mr. Watson holds a Bachelor of Science [Business Management] with a major in accounting from the University of Maryland University College, College Park, Maryland [USA]. He is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts and the Associate of Certified Fraud Examiners.
He will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the ICO and the effective management and administration of the ICO office. Hector’s knowledge and experience gives him a unique insight into the Bermuda public service sector and the diverse needs of the PATI stakeholders.
