AG should have responded to Chancellor - lawyer

AG should have responded to Chancellor – lawyer

May 07, 2017 News

The Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, SC should have provided a response to the Acting Chancellor Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards although she did not seek an official response from the minister.

Attorney General Basil Williams SC

This is the view of a respected Attorney-at-Law who also believes that Williams’ non-response and the reason given for such a position is unacceptable.
Williams was accused of threatening to kill Justice Franklin Holder, a claim the Attorney General denied. But he did admit to telling the Judge that he is someone that ‘says what he wants’ and he has always been like that.
The incident took place in open court during the trial of Carvil Duncan. The altercation with Williams caused the Judge to abruptly end the court session.
The acting Chancellor in a release said that Justice Holder‘s letter was forwarded by Chancellor to Williams for his information, response and guidance, “but to date, Williams has not directly responded to the letter.”
In response to the Chancellor’s release the AG proffered a different position. Williams subsequently released a letter he sent to the Chancellor on April 19.
The letter said “Please find attached two copies of my response to Justice Holder’s letter of complaint, referred to His Excellency President Brigadier David Arthur Granger by your Honour.
“I have also attached clippings of newspapers which were spawned by Mr. Anil Nandlall’s putrid allegation against my unblemished character and the contents of Justice Holder’s letter of complaint”.
The Lawyer believes that Williams ought to have known better and as the government lead legal adviser he should have known that it was out of respect that a response should have been provided.
Additionally, the lawyer said the fact that the Chancellor (ag) is the head of the legal fraternity to which Williams is a member, that by itself should have necessitated better judgment on the AG’s part.
The lawyer said Williams’s behaviour is not befitting of an AG. He should not have found himself in this position in the first place. He noted that such behaviour has become synonymous with Williams’ tenure as the AG.
The legal luminary believes that out of principle and respect Williams should apologize to the Justice Holder and end this saga that seems to have no end.
The official said it will be interesting to see how things will unfold when the Carvil Duncan matter is called before Judge Holder since the AG will be representing the state in that matter.

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