While being just, taking law to all

Sayonara Telles-Laad is the daughter of Alzemiro Telles and Maria Lena Estebeiro Telles who grew up in Jitlem, Guirdolim. After passing her SSCE from Guardian Angel High School, Curchorem, she graduated in 1984 from Smt. Parvatibai Chowgule College in English and Philosophy and then joined the Kare College of Law, Margao and became a lawyer. Incidentally she was ranked second in the Law Exams amongst all those who answered their exams that year.

Sayonara started practicing law on the day the world celebrates Goencho Saib’s feast i.e. 3rd December in the year 1987. She first worked with Adv. Bernard D’Souza and later joined Adv. Jagdish Prabhudesai. On 28th September 1992 she joined the Department of Prosecution as Assistant Public Prosecutor and thereafter in 1996 she joined Goa Judiciary and rose to be the District & Sessions Judge.

Sayonara has dedicated much of her energy and time to promote and propagate free legal aid to the needy. She took charge as the first full time Member Secretary of the Goa State Legal Services Authority on 25th February 2019 till her appointment as President of the Children’s Court for the State of Goa on 14th March 2022. She has been chairperson of Complaints Committee for the District and Subordinate Courts, North Goa. She was also Chairperson of Bicholim, Quepem and Ponda taluka Legal Services Committee and was also Secretary of the North Goa District Legal Services Authority.

For the first time in Goa a Legal Awareness Fete was organized on 13th and 14 September 2014 for North Goa, which was conceptualized and designed by Sayonara. Incidentally this was the first of its kind not only in Goa but the whole country.

 

 

 

 

Besides contributing various articles to different publications, Sayonara has also compered and presented programmes for All India Radio. Incidentally, she has published a book titled CHEERS which is a compilation of humorous anecdotes in her life. She is also quite regular on Facebook where one can hear her singing various songs in her dulcet voice with bewitching expressions.

 

 

 She was felicitated with the Adarsh Mahila International Women Achiever Award in the year 2019 by the Legal Rights Council of India besides having been featured in Business Goa and Incredible Goa magazines for representing women power. Sayonara has the rare distinction of being featured in the Festival Style Book of Peacock magazine which was released by the International Film Festival of India in 2019 and 2021.

 

 

 

 

Last year on International Women’s Day, the Postal Department, Goa Division, honoured her with “My Stamp” which was indeed a proud moment for this village belle who achieved such great heights and was also felicitated by the Goa State Legal Services Authority on the same day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sayonara is a resource person for Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development along with other institutions and is known for disposing large number of cases in Alternate Disputes Forums and promotes settlement of cases while generating awareness and happiness is her passion.

Sayonara who is dedicated to her work presently lives in Porvorim with her family.