Jaime Saleh

Jaime Mercelino Saleh (born 20 April 1941) is a Dutch Antillean politician and former judge. He was a judge on the Joint Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles from 1974 to 1990 and was its president from 1979. Saleh subsequently served as Governor of the Netherlands Antilles between 1990 and 2002.

His Excellency Jaime Saleh
Jaime Saleh
Governor of the Netherlands Antilles
In office 16 January 1990 – 1 July 2002
Monarch	Beatrix
Prime Minister	Maria Liberia Peters Suzanne Camelia-Römer Alejandro Felipe Paula Miguel Pourier Suzanne Camelia-Römer Miguel Pourier Etienne Ys
Preceded by	René Römer
Succeeded by	Frits Goedgedrag
President of the Joint Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles
In office 1 September 1979 – 15 January 1990
Judge of the Joint Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles
In office 1974 – 1 September 1979
Personal details
Born	21 April 1941 Bonaire
Occupation	Public prosecutor, attorney, judge

Early life and career

Saleh was born on Bonaire on 20 April 1941.[1] He was the youngest child in a family of Lebanese immigrants and had eleven siblings.[2][3] His father worked as a trader and eventually the family became wealthier, which allowed Saleh to study in the Netherlands. At age 13 he was sent to Nijmegen to enter into the Dominicus College. Having been raised a Roman Catholic he was to become a Catholic novitiate and subsequently a priest. After three years he changed schools and attended the gymnasium at the Bischoppelijke College in Sittard, which he finished in 1962. Saleh then started studying law at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and obtained his degree four years later.[1] He subsequently worked shortly as a substitute prosecutor in the Netherlands.[4][5]

In 1968 Saleh returned to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and started working as deputy public prosecutor. In 1971 he turned to the private sector and became an attorney. In 1974 Saleh was appointed as judge on the Joint Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles. From 1 September 1979 to 15 January 1990 he served as its president.[4][6][7] Saleh also served as Vice President of the Dutch Navy Military Court for the Netherlands Antilles between 1978 and 1979. He was its president from 1979 to 1990.[8]

Governor of the Netherlands Antilles

Saleh was inaugurated as Governor of the Netherlands Antilles on 16 January 1990.[3] He had already been thought of by Governor Bernadito M. Leito as his successor in 1983. During Saleh's early time in office the Third Lubbers cabinet sought a different outlook on the Netherlands Antilles. In 1992, this led to a Common measure of Kingdom governance for Sint Maarten. Saleh as Governor was heavily involved in the preventive oversight. The cabinet of Miguel Pourier took over this role in 1994.[2][9]

In September 1995, after Hurricane Luis struck Sint Maarten and looting occurred, Saleh authorized the first use of Dutch military forces since the 1969 Curaçao uprising.[2][10] In 1997 he also allowed the use of Dutch Marines at Koraal Specht prison on Curaçao.[2][11] Saleh's time in office ended on 1 July 2002.[7]

Later career

Saleh was appointed Minister of State of the Dutch Caribbean in 2004.[4] From 2005 to 2011 he was professor of constitutional law of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at Utrecht University.[1] In 2008 he won the Nederlandse Juristen Vereniging Prize.[12] At the inauguration of King Willem-Alexander on 30 April 2013 Saleh was the carrier of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.[13][14]

Personal life

Saleh is married and has four children.[4] His daughter Eunice Saleh became President of the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba in December 2016. Saleh was President of the Court when it was still known as Joint Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles.[15][16]

Saleh is a Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau.[5]

References

1. "Prof.mr. J.M. Saleh (1941 - )" (in Dutch). Utrecht University. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
2. Aart G. Broek. "De gouverneurs van de Nederlandse Antillen sinds 1815" (PDF). KITLV. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2017.
3. Dalida Moharram (31 March 2006). "'De herinnering overleeft'" (PDF) (in Dutch). Antilliaans Dagblad. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
4. "Jaime Saleh". Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017.
5. Frits Goedgedrag (1 July 2002). "1 juli 2002: Rede van Mr F.M. de los Santos Goedgedrag Gouverneur van de Nederlandse Antillen ter gelegenheid van de ambtsaanvaarding tijdens een plechtige zitting van de Staten". Governor of Curaçao. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017.
6. "Toespraak Prof. Mr. Jaime M. Saleh" (in Dutch). Comité Koninkrijksrelaties. 23 November 2010. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017.
7. "Prof. mr. Jaime Saleh wint NJV Prijs 2008" (in Dutch). Edward Brüheim. 25 April 2008. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017.
8. Europa Publications (2003). The International Who's Who 2004. Psychology Press. p. 1469. ISBN 978-1-85743-217-6.
9. Frans Heiligers (11 July 1992). "Antilliaanse politici verrast over curatele op Sint Maarten" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
10. "Gevolgen van de orkaan Luis voor de Bovenwindse eilanden van de Nederlandse Antillen" (in Dutch). Overheid.nl. 13 September 1995. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
11. "Marine bewaakt gevangenis op Curaçao" (in Dutch). Reformatorisch Dagblad. 26 March 1997. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
12. "Historisch overzicht" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Juristen Vereniging. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
13. "Wapenkoningen en wapenherauten". Koninklijk Huis. 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
14. "Bijzondere herauten bij inhuldiging Willem-Alexander" (in Dutch). Trouw. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
15. "Eunice Saleh Sworn In As President Court Of Justice". Curaçao Chronicle. 27 December 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
16. "Eunice Saleh op Curaçao geïnstalleerd als nieuwe Hof-President" (in Dutch). De Surinaamse Krant. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.