32 CALLED TO THE BAR

The local judicial system has found it necessary to make a few changes to facilitate the efficient practice of law in Barbados and of late, even the swearing in of new attorneys.

As thirty-two new attorneys were called to the Bar yesterday during a swearing-in ceremony held at the Supreme Court Complex in Whitepark Road, St. Michael, they did so observing the COVID-19 health and safety protocols, which saw them wearing masks and socially distancing themselves from each other as they took their oaths. The full sitting was spread out so personnel and those gathered to view the proceedings could do so from three courts in the complex. An additional cohort is to be sworn in at a later date.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Dale Marshall acknowledged that the year 2020 has been a difficult one, but he noted that in various settings, persons have had to embrace “COVID-friendly options”, and the courtroom was no different. Pointing out that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the practice of law, he however stressed the need to fully embrace and grasp what can be seen as opportunities for change however, or be left behind.

Speaking with The Barbados Advocate following the swearing in ceremony, the Attorney General said that the government has been trying for some time to get COVID-19 protocols that work and as such, didn’t feel it necessary to enact special or different protocols for the court. To date, he noted that what is in place has been working.

“The court administrators and the court administration is well able to deal with the specific requirements of the justice system, which requires litigants to be in court and so on. So for example, we have had to make special physical arrangements to accommodate the jury for example, because obviously, if you think about how a jury functions, there are 12 jurors, they all sit in close proximity and that’s obviously not going to work. So the court obviously has to have a complement of court marshals, police officers and other support staff and then of course lawyers, all in a confined space,” he explained.

He added, “In relation to the civil side of law, we have had those challenges as well, but in many instances, we have been able to do a lot of procedural matters by Zoom and so on. Even though we are doing more of it now, truth be told our current rules of the Supreme Court have always allowed for people to participate in the dispensation of justice remotely.

“I myself have had court cases where evidence was taken by remote means from people overseas and so on. So I think what is happening now is that we are of course forced to embrace the technology, but along with the element of compulsion, to be able to see people physically distanced. There are a lot of advantages that come along with doing exactly that, embracing technology,” the Attorney General maintained. (RSM)