Attorney-at-Law and State Attorney, Daina Matthew attached to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), graduated from the University of Salford in Manchester, United Kingdom with a Masters of Law. She was able to successfully complete this postgraduate studies in International Commercial Law with Distinction.
Since being admitted to the Dominican bar in 2018, Ms. Matthew has practiced over the past four years in criminal law. Presently, she is the most senior State Attorney attached to the DPP’s office and has maintained a 100% conviction rate in all her High Court trials.
Upon interview with Emonews, Matthew voiced that her major challenge while pursuing her masters was balancing the assignments and exams plus working full time at a very hectic job. Nevertheless, she was able to overcome this through effective time management and most importantly finding time for herself and social life.
According to Matthew, the biggest lesson that she’s learnt and keep being reminded of is that ‘what’s for you will not miss you, it doesn’t matter what detour you take and how long you stop you can achieve anything you put your mind to’.
Upon completion of this phase of her academic journey, she felt relieved that she no longer had the immense pressure to pace her days because of having to set time deadlines for completion of her tasks. Notwithstanding, she expressed that she loves the degree she pursued because of its great diversity. “I’m now equipped to deal with corporate law, contract law, sale of goods law and intellectual property law. I believe just by being more skilled in those areas I can assist in many public and private sectors,” she stressed.
Matthew attributes her success to God and her parents as she would not have been where she is today without them. “I must mention my family, friends and well wishers who have not allowed me to doubt in myself,” she thanked.
As it relates to the future, she articulated that she has not quite decided which area of law she would like to settle in but is confident that wherever she lands she will be an asset and will make a difference in people’s lives. This is reflected in one of her favourite quotes which she applies to everything she engages in is; “Anything worth doing, is worth doing well”.
