Judges tell Legal Aid: Stop delaying tactics

Justice of Appeal Roger Hamel-Smith made the call yesterday after convicted murderer Kenrick London said he wanted to change his attorney, Theodore Guerra SC. Hamel-Smith suggested that accused persons who ask for Legal Aid should not be allowed to dictate pace and change attorneys, except if they wanted to make their own private arrangement or previously had difficulty with that attorney.

When London’s appeal against his conviction for the murder of his eight-month-old daughter, Vidya, was called yesterday, Guerra told Justices of Appeal Hamel-Smith, Stanley John and Paula Mae Weekes, he was appointed by Legal Aid to represent London, but he has since received a letter from London indicating that he no longer wanted him as his attorney.

Hamel-Smith said a letter had been sent to the Director of Legal Aid indicating that appellants should not dispense with competent counsel to force an adjournment.

Director of Legal Aid, Gilbert Peterson SC, who was in court at the time, explained that a policy to deal with such situations will soon be implemented.

Guerra and special prosecutor Dana Seetahal agreed that appellants have been using the tactic of changing attorneys to force an adjournment. Seetahal said even the Privy Council had to confront that issue. On previous occasions, Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma had expressed similar sentiments.

London was convicted and sentenced to death for killing his daughter sometime between October 24, 1993 and December 2, 1997. His appeal was adjourned to a date to be fixed.