Law Assn silent on calls for CJ’s head

LATT president, Douglas Mendes SC yesterday told Newsday that the association has not met on the issue.

Calls have been made for Archie to resign as chief justice and as chairman of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.

Asked if the association was planning to meet to discuss the issue, Mendes said, “The law association meets on Tuesday and the item is not on the agenda.” Asked if members have expressed their positions on the issue to the association, he said, “No, not that I am aware of.” On the issue, former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday said, “many people have raised the matter which, probably, requires an investigation.” He said, “I would not like to condemn anybody without having sound evidence against them.” Meanwhile, former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj said he did not want to comment on the issue at the time as he was aware that some members of the legal fraternity were looking at the matter with the aim of making some recommendations.

The calls for Archie’s resignation followed last week’s shock resignation of Ayers-Caesar and the latest questions to emerge surrounding the appointment of former senior magistrate Avason Quinlan as a judge.