10/09/2024
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ง๐ผ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐
A warm CrimSL welcome to Harold Lovell, Adjunct Professor and Guest Lecturer, who joins CrimSL this term!
With years of experience in leadership and government in Antigua and Barbuda, Harold Lovell, attorney at law, has focused his lifeโs work on creating better social and economic outcomes.
He is a social justice and economic empowerment advocate with a strong belief in inclusive leadership and multi-stakeholder participation. His background in law, governance and politics has given him insights and experiences which he is eager to share.
"My scholarly interests are focused on exploring and extending the rights and freedoms of marginalized groups and individuals and creating more inclusive and equitable societies," he says. Lovell earned the degree of Master of Jurisprudence (MJur) from the University of Birmingham. His thesis (unpublished) was "The Origins and Development of Human Rights Jurisprudence in the Commonwealth Caribbean." Lovell also holds an LLB from Thames Valley University and a BA from the University of the West Indies.
As an attorney in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda, his practice is specialized in the fields of Constitutional, Civil and Criminal Law.
He says, "Some of my notable legal efforts in pursuit of justice include:
โข Right to disseminate information via the broadcast media
โข In 2001, I appeared as counsel with Geoffrey Robertson, QC in the landmark Observer Radio Case which opened the door for private radio broadcasting in Antigua and Barbuda.
โข Freedom of Religion
โข In 1997 I successfully represented a leader of the Rastafari community to establish Rastafari as a recognized religion entitled to protection under the Constitution.
โข Access to the public media
โข In 1994 I successfully led the case of Baldwin Spencer v The Minister of Information in Antigua and Barbuda, which paved the way for the Leader of the Opposition to access national media.
โข Freedom of Expression
โข In 1990, in Hector v Attorney General, I appeared as junior counsel striking down as unconstitutional a law which sought to criminalize legitimate criticisms of government."
As a Member of Parliament for Antigua and Barbuda from 2004 to 2014, Lovell served as Deputy Prime Minister (2009 to 2014); as Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation; as Minister of Culture and the Environment; and as Minister of Finance, Economy, and Public Administration.
He says, "As Minister of Finance and the Economy during the global economic crisis in 2010, I spearheaded the National Economic and Social Transformational Plan in collaboration with the Central Bank, The World Bank, The Caribbean Development Bank, and the IMF to stabilize and redesign the fiscal economy."
He went on to serve as political leader of the main opposition party, the United Progressive Party, from 2015 to 2023.
Lovell says he has seen many positive results from his decades of service. He says, "I was able to motivate, mobilize and organize the team towards achieving lasting and sustainable change in the social lives of many Antiguans and Barbudans."
He arrives at CrimSL now to share his knowledge and experience. He says, "I have a passion for developing and motivating young people to social justice." His dedication to teaching and mentoring has been a hallmark throughout his challenging, high-profile career.
Lovell is currently teaching CRI493H1 "Human Rights Law and the Post-Colonial Condition: The Caribbean Region" with Professor Kamari Clarke. The course explores struggles for democracy and freedom through the examination of case studies in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with a focus on the role of Courts in shaping democratic political, social and cultural zones through aiming to protect and enforce human rights. It also examines the historical tendencies of the neo-colonial state, the hindrances to democratic growth, and the activist roles played by the Courts in expanding the rights of workers, minorities, and marginalized groups.
He will present "Reflections on law, human rights and democratic leadership in contemporary Caribbean life" on November 27, 2024, as part of the CrimSL Speaker Series co-sponsored by the Centre for Leadership and Diversity at OISE/UT and the Transnational Justice Project.
