Secretary-General Patricia Scotland

The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC is the 6th Commonwealth Secretary-General.

She was born in Dominica and was their candidate for the post at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta in 2015.

She is the second Secretary-General from the Caribbean and the first woman to hold the post.

Profile

Patricia Janet Scotland was born on 19 August 1955 in Dominica
Moved to the UK with her family, growing up in east London
Trained as a lawyer and became the first black woman to be appointed a Queen’s Counsel (QC) in 1991. At 35 she was also the youngest woman ever to be made a QC
The first black woman to be appointed Deputy High Court Judge, Recorder and Master of Middle Temple
Joined the House of Lords in 1997 as Baroness Scotland of Asthal going on to serve as a minister in the Foreign Office, Home Office and Lord Chancellor’s Department
Undertook major reform of the criminal justice system, including the introduction of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act
Appointed Attorney General in 2007 – the first women to hold the post since it was created in 1315
Founded the Eliminate Domestic Violence Global Foundation in 2011
Appointed Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy to South Africa in 2012
Elected as the Alderman of Bishopsgate in the City of London in 2014
Awarded Eminent Caribbean Jurists Award in 2022

The Commonwealth Secretary-General is responsible for:

The Secretary-General is nominated by Commonwealth leaders and can serve a maximum of two terms of four years each.

Former Secretaries-General are:

Kamalesh Sharma of India (2008-2016)
Don McKinnon of New Zealand (2000-2008)
Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria (1990-2000)
Sir Shridath ‘Sonny’ Ramphal of Guyana (1975-1990)
Arnold Smith of Canada (1965-1975)