Attorney General John Jeremie SC says consideration is being given to developing a procurement process for retaining lawyers to represent the State in legal matters.
He made the comment during deliberations at Friday’s sitting of Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee as he noted that billions of taxpayers’ dollars have been “wasted on fattening lawyers”.
AG Jeremie recalled that he met more than $150 million in outstanding legal fees when he assumed office.
He added that over the past year, his office has incurred less than 25% of that amount in legal expenses.
“This, in comparison to fees paid by the Office of the AG for these periods: 2022 to 2023, approximately $246 million. 2023 to 2024: approximately $147 million. I think something is wrong with that.”
The AG said the disparity in spending has prompted consideration of stricter oversight, including procurement rules for state briefs.
“Whether we should ask the Auditor General to have a look at it, whether we should impose some sort of procurement provisions on it. Everyone has run away from that. I am not afraid to run away from anything, right, including that. So that it is something that I have in contemplation. I will have a discussion. I have started a discussion, as a matter of fact, in week one when I discovered the horror that was left on me.”
The AG also thanked public servants for their role in dramatically reducing external legal expenditure.
He revealed that staff at the Office of the Attorney General and the civil and criminal law departments have been preparing submissions to reduce reliance on external counsel.