Daniel Feetham

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The Honourable
Daniel Feetham
MP
Daniel Feetham votando en las elecciones generales de Gibraltar, 26 de noviembre de 2015.jpg
Daniel Feetham, Leader of the Opposition, in 2015
Leader of the Opposition
In office
10 January 2013 – 30 November 2017
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterFabian Picardo
DeputyRoy Clinton
Preceded byPeter Caruana
Succeeded byKeith Azopardi
Minister for Justice
In office
2007–2011
Personal details
BornGibraltar

Daniel Anthony Feetham QC MP is a Gibraltarian politician and lawyer who served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) from 2013 to 2017.

Political career[]

Mr Feetham was one of the founders of the Gibraltar Labour Party in 2001. The party had no seats in Parliament and contested the 2003 General Election, where Mr. Feetham obtained the largest number of votes for a leader of a third party since 1984 and his party the largest share of the vote by a third party since 1988 but no seats.[1] The Gibraltar Labour Party has since merged with the Gibraltar Social Democrats.[2]

He obtained a history degree from the University of Reading and a law degree from the University of Manchester. He is a barrister in Gibraltar and a Member of the Gibraltar Parliament. From 2004 to 2006 he was a member of the Gibraltar delegation that negotiated a new Constitution with the UK and co-ordinated the yes vote campaign in the referendum on the new Constitution in 2006. The new Constitution was adopted in Gibraltar in 2007.

He was elected to parliament as a GSD member in the 2007 elections and served as Gibraltar's first Minister of Justice for 4 years. In the 2011 general election the GSD was defeated by a very narrow margin but Mr Feetham was elected to Parliament 52 votes behind the then leader Peter Caruana. Mr Feetham became deputy leader of the GSD in 2012 and in February 2013 he was elected as leader of the GSD and became Leader of the Opposition until June 2017 when he stepped aside for family reasons.

On 2 November 2010, Mr Feetham was stabbed in the back while out walking in Library Street with his children.[3] Police arrested the attacker while the Minister underwent emergency surgery in St. Bernard's Hospital. His attacker was on bail at the time on charges of attempted murder of a doctor at St Bernard's Hospital and stabbed Mr Feetham because he had been declined, by a judge, legal aid to retain an English QC to represent him rather than having local representation. The knife attack cut his spleen in half which had to be removed. Despite the serious nature of the attack Mr Feetham survived. The attacker is serving a life sentence.[4]

Daniel Feetham was appointed one of Her Majesty's Counsel for Gibraltar in December 2016.

Elections[]

In 2003, he contested the General Election as leader of the Gibraltar Labour Party, who won 8.3% of the popular vote and no seats.

In 2007, he contested the General Election as a candidate for the Gibraltar Social Democrats. He was elected as an MP and as Minister for Justice.

In 2013, he contested the leadership of the GSD after Peter Caruana stood down. He beat his opponent Damon Bossino and was elected GSD Leader and subsequently as Leader of the Opposition.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Gibraltar: GSD Win Election with 51% majority". MercoPress. 28 November 2003. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  2. ^ Brian Reyes (5 August 2005). "Feetham joins ruling Social Democrat Party". Gibraltar Chronicle. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  3. ^ Justice Minister Wounded in Vicious Knife Attack Archived 6 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Gibraltar Chronicle, 3 November 2010.
  4. ^ "Feetham attacker admits attempted murder". Gibraltar Chronicle. 12 April 2012. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
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