PM slams Law Association for 'political hypocrisy'

PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar chided the Law Association (LATT) in the ongoing row over the impartiality of the independent senators, as she addressed a UNC Monday Night Forum rally at Penal on July 7. Recently, Senate Leader Darrell Allahar had questioned the impartiality of two independent senators during a debate on the Prime Minister's Pension (Amendment) Bill, and was later supported by UNC PRO Dr Kirk Meighoo questioning one senator's standing.

However on July 7, a statement by LATT lamented the criticism of the independent senators, saying attacks on public figures were "a trend which must be reined in."

LATT said it was not in TT's interest to suggest that whenever views were expressed different to their own, the persons expressing them were unprincipled or lacking in independence and integrity.

However, Persad-Bissessar in turn hit LATT.

"Interestingly, the Law Association, which is often criticised for its silence, has suddenly found its voice to express concern over what it perceives as an attack on 'the independence and integrity' of the independent bench in the Senate.

"This is the same body that remained silent over the past ten years, when the PNM destroyed the sacred core of democratic principles, institutions, and the rule of law."

She claimed PNM “eat-ah-food” lawyers had infiltrated the LATT executive. "It is high time their political hypocrisy and agenda are exposed.

"People are no longer fooled by greedy legal fake elites masquerading as independent voices who were quietly gorging on the Treasury by the billions."

Persad-Bissessar wondered how the LATT council had found time to issue its statement instead of being interested in so many other useful things for public discussion.

She said in recent years, lawyers had clamoured for their council to strongly oppose virtual court hearings, non-functioning court buildings, delays in judgements, and the secretive process by which the President of the Republic appoints Senior Counsel.

"At times the façade slips and the average citizen can connect the dots. Six decades after gaining independence, 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."

Persad-Bissessar said, "This pseudo-aristocratic hangover from colonialism, where some believe they can lecture the citizens from a position of superiority, is evident in the placement of PNM operatives in supposedly independent institutions. The Law Association’s charade does not fool the populace."