7 News Belize

Barow Versus The Bar, Round 3
posted (November 16, 2010)
It didn't make it on last night's newscast but the Bar Association sent out a press release yesterday making it clear that they aren't happy with the Prime Minister.

And that's probably because at Friday's house meeting, the Prime Minister called out the organization as PUP controlled - and by implication, PUP-instrumentalised.

Here's what he had to say.

Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Let us be honest, the Bar Association is PUP. The vast majority of the members of the bar are partisan, that association is PUP. When you were doing things like stealing the money to pay the private debt of Universal Hospital, when you signed guarantees that were secret and illegal which you witnessed, Mr. member for Freetown, and when these things eventually came to light and the entire society revolted against it, did you hear The Bar Association make one statement with respect to what was happening? Because it is an association control by the People's United Party, the opposition!"

Well the Bar sent out an indignant denunciation of that characterization. It says, the Bar "condemns in the strongest possible terms the very public and unwarranted attacks…launched by the Prime Minister."

It goes unto say - and this is a mouthful - that the PM has "sought to put political labels on the reasoned position of the Association… to inflame and incite his supporters and thereby avoid the… need to address in a sober and rational way the very serious allegation that (he) has sought to undermine the rule of law through unwarranted and unjustified interference with persons holding high judicial office."

Well, we don't know about all that - we do know that at least one UDP member of the Bar - who is not on the executive has called us to say that the members of the bar were not consulted on the release and he doesn't stand by it.

So, yes, the bar is divided along political lines - nothing new in that…and while the PM bombed them, he also offered an olive branch - to be permitted to consult as they had requested on the selection of a new Chief Justice.

Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"But I'll tell you what, I have no difficulty - we have advertised - I think we have received something like 13 applications. I am perfectly happy to get some members of the bar and go against that principle which suggests that really the applicant shouldn't have to be interviewed and grilled by people who will later on have to appear in front of them. If you all feel strongly that that will make things look better -even though I know that you and The Bar Association have an agenda - but to show that I have no agenda and that I am not personal, I am prepared to get some members of The Bar Association to help us go through the list of applications. And when we do a short listing - that's what you want, the constitution does not provide for it, I wouldn't say does not allow for it - but let me be magnanimous -although it's being magnanimous according to your likes - let me be magnanimous. I am perfectly prepared to have a couple of members of the bar association look with us at the list of applications and certainly in terms of the short list and talk to these people so that there might be some agreement on who's the best candidate."

Bar president Jackie Marshalleck did not respond to our request for comment on whether the Bar will accept the invitation. According to the PM, 13 persons have applied for the post.

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