‘Coconut’ attorneys sickout

Four days after Chief Justice Sat Sharma called for better terms and conditions for state attorneys and likened them to that of a batsman using coconut bats to play on a Lord’s wicket, State Prosecutors staged a sickout yesterday. 

Their action brought a halt to proceedings in the Criminal Courts at the Port-of-Spain Hall of Justice. The only criminal court functioning was the Second Court where Dhanraj Singh’s murder trial was taking place. The action was a move by prosecutors to highlight afresh the unacceptable conditions under which they work. They received the support of the Council of the Law Association who also issued a statement yesterday. The Law Association statement was signed by its President Karl Hudson-Phillip QC who referred to the recent improvement in the terms and conditions of employment of public sector doctors which sought to bring their salaries in line with private doctors. The Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson yesterday was not in a position to comment on his staff’s action.

On Monday, when court resumes, it is not certain whether attorneys will continue with their sickout. The attorneys are protesting the poor remuneration, terms and condition of their employment. They are also calling for remuneration commensurate with the jobs they do so as to curtail the exodus of prosecutors and retain those who wish to make the DPP’s department their career.  The protesting attorneys explained that the DPP’s department is operated by 34 attorneys who prosecute daily in over 40 Magistrates’ Court and as many as nine High Courts and two Courts of Appeal. During the 2003-2004 Law Term, nine High Court prosecutors are expected to deal with over 300 pending matters in the Assizes.

Despite this onerous workload, attorneys in the DPP’s office said they have been performing their duties with courage, dedication and skill. “Experience shows that experience alone does not achieve desired results. Rather, State attorneys have demonstrated competence, preparedness and acuteness in meeting every legal challenge.” In a statement, attorneys pointed out that in their department, there is a bottleneck at the lower ranks and vacancies at the top. This is so, they said, because many attorneys do not have the requisite number of years’ service to be promoted although they may do the work of persons in those positions. It added that senior practitioners in private practice are not applying for those vacant positions because of the poor remuneration, terms and conditions of employment

Further, attorneys expressed the view that Cabinet appears to be in no haste to increase the number of substantive posts. They also argued that given the increase in crime and the growing sophistication of criminal activity, “We call for adequate resources to be allocated to this department to enhance our role.” They said they support the plans to establish specialised units, such as a financial investigation unit, and to staff the Magistrates’ Court with State attorneys to replace police prosecutors so as to keep the investigative and prosecutorial arms separate. “In that light, it becomes even more urgent for the office of the DPP to be given the respect and the resources it deserves.”