Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC has raised questions regarding the neutrality of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT), describing the entity as “elitist.”
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s concerns follows a statement by LATT on what it deemed “unwarranted attacks on the independence and integrity of the independent bench in the Senate.”
The Prime Minister said: “Don’t be fooled by the greedy, legal, fake elites masquerading as independent voices who were quietly gorging on the treasury for billions. One wonders how the Council of the Law Association found time to issue such a press release when there are so many other useful things they could have placed for public discussion connected to the matters that they should be interested in.”
Mrs. Persad-Bissessar called on citizens to connect the dots, saying that the numerous issues of non-functioning court buildings, delays in judgments, and virtual court hearings haven’t been addressed by the Law Association in years.
“The public is awakening to the fact that those who claim to be independent are actually reliant on the PNM’s favour and will do anything to regain their former status.”
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar also announced the plan to establish the Office of a Law Chancellor, who will oversee the day-to-day logistics of the courts.
“The honourable Attorney General, on our instructions, talked to the the Law Reform Commission to examine the establishment of a Lord Chancellor of the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago. The Law Reform Commission has prepared a research note, and we are reviewing that in the Cabinet. The Chief Justice will still be in charge of the judiciary, but the Chancellor will oversee day-to-day logistics and the running of the courts.”
The Prime Minister added that, at this time, the judiciary requires fit-for-purpose human resources.