(Trinidad Guardian) Attorneys-at-law Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard are among 16 who will be appointed Senior Counsel (SC) by President George Maxwell Richards today. The 16-name list was proposed by Ramlogan and approved by Persad-Bissessar yesterday. The heads of four arms of the Attorney General’s office—Solicitor General Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell, chairman of the Law Reform Commission and former magistrate Samraj Harripaul, Chief Parliamentary Counsel Ian MacIntyre, which include DPP Gaspard—will also be given silk. They list also includes former speaker of the House Barry Sinnanan, Justice of Appeal Wendell Kangaloo, founding member of the Congress of the People (COP) Vernon de Lima, Stephanie Daly, Dennis Gurley, Christo Gift, Surrendranth Capildeo, Sophia Chote and Norma Maynard-Marshall.
Ramlogan, this country’s youngest Attorney General, has followed in footsteps of former attorneys general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and John Jeremie who recommended themselves for silk while in office. Former attorneys general Glenda Morean-Phillips and Bridgid Annisette-George did not give themselves silk. Contacted yesterday, Ramlogan chose not to answer questions on the matter. Senior Counsel Israel Khan said despite his age Ramlogan was deserving of silk, having been involved in about 40 matters at the Privy Council, and numerous in the local courts. “Despite being an office-holder, he should have ben given silk on his own merit and ability,” he said. Khan said while Archie was a “young, bright Chief Justice,” there was precedent as was the case with former chief justice Clinton Bernard. In the Prime Minister’s case, Khan observed there was precedent set as ANR Robinson was granted silk while in office.
President of the Law Association Dana Seetahal, SC, said achieving silk status was an achievement for attorneys and given to select few. She said some of the requirements for achieving silk were that senior attorneys had ten years in practices, be well respected at the Bar, excelled at their profession and have unimpeachable integrity. She said while there was no fixed time period appointing silk to lawyers, the last two times attorneys were given silk were in December 2003 and January 2006. And while he’s disappointed that only two members of the criminal bar achieved silk, Khan said he believed that the appointments were based on merit, ability and integrity. “It’s good to see that gender, race or political affiliations have not prevented anyone achieving silk,” he said.
He pointed out that Sinanan, a former house speaker, was closely affiliated to the People’s National Movement and Donaldson-Honeywell was the daughter of PNM stalwart, John Donaldson. “Both of them, in their own merit, were given the honour…Everyone there has the necessary ability, character and integrity,” he said. Speaking in her personal capacity, Seetahal extended personal congratulations to Daly, who she said had done tireless service in community work as well as the other attorneys.
