President of the Law Association, Martin Daly, SC, and Douglas Mendes, SC, have sorted out their dispute over the use of a letter sent by Mendes on the issue of the controversial affidavit of Jamaat Al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr. Yesterday, both Daly and Mendes signed a joint statement which was sent to the media. It stated: “We wish to indicate that we met and explained to each other fully our respective positions on the disclosure by the Council of the Law Association of correspondence between us. “We continue to regard each other with trust and respect and have agreed to treat the disclosure of the correspondence as a genuine misunderstanding and made in good faith. We regard the issue as at an end.” Last week, Mendes was upset with the Law Association and its president for publishing a “private and confidential” letter which he sent to the association concerning Bakr’s affidavit.

In a letter, dated October 15, Mendes said: “I can only conclude that you and your council set about publishing my views without my permission, reckless, if not intending, that I would be embarrassed both personally and professionally.” Mendes’ letter was in response to one sent the day before by Daly to Attorney General, John Jeremie, in which Daly quoted from a document submitted by Mendes. The whole issue stemmed from Justice Rajendra Narine sending Bakr’s affidavit to the acting Commissioner of Police and the acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for investigations. There have been opposing views from the AG and the Law Association. But Mendes, who represents the AG in civil actions, was very upset at the latest response from the Law Association.