State must support local counsel

THE EDITOR: I notice that in recent times it has become fashionable for the State to retain/import Counsel from outside of Trinidad and Tobago to do high profile cases for the State. Sometimes, these Counsel do not even have the status of Senior Counsel. Is it that the Government or the Attorney General have no confidence in the ability of local Counsel and in particular Senior Counsel to represent the interests of the State? One would have thought that the status of Senior Counsel would be adequate evidence of their capacity to do so.

What has given rise to this loss of confidence? Is it that the Government or Attorney General are unhappy that local Senior Counsel are retained in cases against the State? This is surely not a good reason. This is what the Attorney’s oath requires them to do — without fear or favour. Why does the Law Association not make its voice heard on this matter? Is this what Caribbean integration means? That the State can discriminate against its own? Is this an indication of what one can expect with the Caribbean Court of Appeal which this Government is pushing?

EARL BISHOP
Petit Valley