Lawyers urged not to take advantage of the poor

THERE is a view that a “stronger hand” is needed to ensure that any unscrupulous members of the legal profession do not take advantage of the poor or under-informed in Barbados.

So says Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley as he joined the debate on the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention and Control) (Amendment) Bill 2019, which was debated in the Lower Chamber recently.

Stressing that he is not targeting lawyers and that he respects them in a professional capacity, Bishop Atherley suggested that his concern is for the poor persons in the society.

“...People who are poor in terms of their economic status, means, people who are uninformed or under-informed get into matters which require professional legal help. I am saying that their problems are compounded because lawyers do not always hold to the highest standards of professional practice and much of their conduct falls into question.”

He said a situation arises where in some cases, persons find themselves dealing with more stress after seeking legal counsel and are even deprived of their property.
“Something has to be done about that,” he charged.

“There is a disciplinary committee in the Bar Association and I know that from time to time we hear of a case here and there and somebody is disbarred. Mr. Speaker, the frequency at which the dark deeds seem to be perpetrated by members of the legal profession against an uninformed people in Barbados seems to suggest that a stronger hand is needed and a wider eye needs to scrutinise more closely what goes on with reference to this profession.

“Money laundering is not simply about moving money that is dirty and criminally acquired. Money laundering is about concealing property as well and that is another part of the story to be told where professionals in Barbados engage in those activities, which help people to hide, to conceal property, which has been criminally acquired.”

Bishop Atherley explained there are instances where an entity may enter into an arrangement with a business interest or some other money interest knowing full well that the interest being pursued by that entity revolves around money laundering activities.

“And yet you enter into arrangements with these kinds of associates. You are not laundering money yourself, you are not necessarily criminally concealing property on their behalf, but you enter into an arrangement knowingly with an entity that is doing that. And I think that is something that is worthy of serious focus,” he challenged.
(JH)