No date for Law Association meeting on AG no-confidence motion

A date has not yet been set for the Law Association to convene a special general meeting to vote on a motion of no-confidence in Attorney General Reginald Armour.

On Wednesday, 40 lawyers petitioned the association to call the meeting for its membership to vote on the motion. On Tuesday, the association's council said it will investigate allegations of a possible breach of the code of ethics of the Legal Profession Act as a consequence of a ruling in a US court.

On Thursday, the association's president, Sophia Chote, SC, told Newsday, the council has to first peruse the petition and accompanying documents before deciding on if they will convene a special general meeting and, if so, when.

She said the council is also preparing for a special general meeting in preparation for its upcoming elections.

There have been repeated calls for Armour to resign. The Opposition has also filed a motion of no-confidence in the AG in the Parliament has called for the US authorities to investigate Armour for purjury arising out of his statements to a Miami court in the civil forfeiture proceedings filed almost two decades ago by the State against former UNC ministers and several businessmen and companies related to the Piarco Airport expansion project.

Armour and the US law firm representing TT in the Miami proceedings, Sequor Law, were disqualified by US judge Reemberto Diaz because Armour previously represented former minister Brian Kuei Tung in criminal proceedings locally. He has said he played a minor role in his representation of Kuei Tung, describing himself as a junior attorney at the time and a note-taker. As AG, he would have conduct of the proceedings in the foreign court but said after he disclosed his potential conflict, he was "walled off" by the US firm and former AG, Faris Al-Rawi, has been appointed to represent the State.

The decision to disqualify him and Sequor Law has been appealed. Armour has maintained his silence on the issue.