(BGIS)

Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite in discussion with President of the Barbados Bar Association, Liesel Weekes during a recent courtesy call. (B.Hinds/BGIS)

Issues related to the legal profession in Barbados fell under the microscope recently, when President of the Barbados Bar Association, Liesel Weekes paid a courtesy call on Attorney General, Adriel Brathwaite.

During the visit, Ms. Weekes raised a number of areas of concern, including the backlog in the court system; delays in attorneys being paid for legal aid services; and the payment of fees by attorneys for corporate services.

In his response, Mr. Brathwaite maintained that the Corporate Trust and Service Providers Act 2015 required all practising attorneys to pay the requisite fee to continue working.

The Attorney General also made it clear that the incorporation of a company was not providing a corporate service, but the management of that company thereafter was a service.

He stressed that the provision of corporate services must be regulated and must therefore be licensed. “Anyone who provides a corporate service must be licensed under the legislation and pay fees,” he emphasised, while urging all attorneys to comply with the legislation.

With regard to the delay in attorneys being paid for legal aid services, Mr. Brathwaite said when he became aware of the problem a supplementary was approved to remedy the situation.

Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Attorney General, Diane Campbell; and Council Member of the Barbados Bar Association, Barry Gale, also attended the meeting.

julia.rawlins-bentham@barbados.gov.bb

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