The Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) has informed the Attorney General Reginald Armour and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard that it possesses information that can bring about a solution to the issues impacting the operations of Gaspard’s office.
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, outgoing LATT president Sophia Chote, SC, said, “I can say that LATT has written to the AG and DPP separately seeking a meeting, since, as a stakeholder in the criminal justice system, we are in possession of recent and historical information which permits us to offer our assistance to resolve some of the matters identified.”
Chote indicated that the messages were sent to the two officeholders yesterday.
Asked for LATT’s view on the public imbroglio involving the Judicial and Executive arms of the state, the LATT president said, “The LATT is of the view that there is no benefit to the public escalation of this matter. This distracts from the resolution of the serious issues to be considered, including the security of prosecutors and resources for the Office of the DPP.”
If there is a meeting with the LATT, it remains to be seen if it will happen in time for Chote herself to attend, as her tenure as president comes to an end on March 31. Lynette Seebaran-Suite SC will then take over as president.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is taking issue with statements made by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley during his post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday.
During the briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, PM Rowley denied he was warring with the DPP, adding he had held talks with the Attorney General to find lawyers outside of Trinidad and Tobago with the “necessary experience” to bolster the DPP’s staff in the wake of his complaint about staff shortage affecting the Office’s work.
When asked why no consideration is being given to Senior Counsels right here in T&T, the Prime Minister said, Let’s get realistic, one of the things in the judicial system is something called conflict. The DPP is on one side representing the state, the other side is the criminals and all their friends, a lot of the lawyers work for the criminals and therefore cannot at one time in the same matter work for the DPP, so the pool of people available is not large.”
But Persad-Bissessar told Guardian Media yesterday that the Prime Minister is using that as an excuse to hijack Gaspard’s office.
“This is a signal that Rowley wants to inject into the DPP’s chambers, a PNM private army of hand-picked foreign lawyers to prosecute political opponents,” Persad-Bissessar said.
She added, “What about making the salaries of career prosecutors on par with those in private practice? That money will be better spent on our own lawyers than on high-priced foreign lawyers who will come here on contract, on a working holiday in the sunny Caribbean and willing to do the bidding of whoever approves their contract fees and renewals.”
The UNCs leader, who was accused by Rowley on Thursday of trying to “curry favour” with the DPP to avoid future criminal prosecution, said the PM’s desire for foreign legal aid goes against his previous positions on matters relating to the judiciary.
“They talk about completing the circle of independence with Caribbean judges and the CCJ. They want a so-called Caribbean jurisprudence. They say the Privy Council is foreign and out of touch and expensive. Yet, they want to pay foreigners from all over the Commonwealth who may not even understand our local dialect or society to prosecute people, rather than train up and pay our local lawyers properly.”
On Thursday, the Prime Minister also said people can’t be picked up off the streets and placed in the DPP’s Office.
“Good lawyers are already in their private practice and won’t work for the Government’s pittance, out of law school, hot and sweaty behind the ears, you’re not good enough to carry on no case.”
On this concern, Persad-Bissessar asked why the Government has not provided scholarships to deserving police prosecutors so they can get the necessary qualifications to work in the DPP’s Office.