‘CONSIDER CRIMINAL LAW’

Barbados needs more criminal defence lawyers.

 

Once again making this appeal, Chief Justice (CJ) Sir Marston Gibson insisted that this was necessary to help deal with the pileup of cases continuing to plague the court system.

 

“There is a huge backlog of pending criminal cases in our court system and one of the several reasons for it is that there are very few lawyers practising in the field of criminal law. I can count on the fingers of one hand the names of criminal lawyers whose names are routinely called by prisoners when asked to name their attorney,” he stated.

 

He pointed out that more law students were gravitating towards “the more financially rewarding areas of practice, with the result that our few criminal lawyers are being asked to be in two places at the same time”.

 

Speaking directly to the 45 new attorneys admitted to the Bar yesterday during a special sitting of the Supreme Court, Sir Marston encouraged them to consider dedicating some time to criminal law.

 

“You are needed!” he asserted frankly.

 

Congratulating the group, he reminded them that in spite of their success in reaching this goal, they had not yet ‘arrived’ and much was expected of them.

 

“I have been told that even at the law schools, students have been heard to say what type of house they wish to own and what type of car they wish to drive! Before, however, you get to the house or the car, or the clients who will fund those dreams, you have, first, to become an officer of the court. And being an officer of the court brings with it very awesome responsibilities,” the CJ added.

 

Also issuing his congratulations, Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite said that the large group was very diverse in which areas of law they would be pursuing and therefore stated that the profession was in good hands going forward. (JMB)