CLA News / CLA President’s April Report
In April 2024, after two tours of Australasia for 2024 on behalf of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, I undertook yet another focus on significant engagements. I made a series of visits to Caribbean nations, including Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and the British Virgin Islands. These visits featured potential collaboration, training opportunities, the upcoming CLC Malta 2025 conference, and many issues of mutual interests.
Highlights included my participation in the Latimer House Symposium organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat, consultations with Chief Justices, discussions on matters such as the need for an Industrial Court in St Lucia, and talks about potential collaboration, including the formation of a Criminal Law Committee within the CLA. Each stop involved meetings with judges, government officials, lawyers, firms, potential sponsors and Bar Associations inviting them to CLC Malta 2025.
In Barbados, I met with the Barbados President HE Dame Sandra Mason at the State House, the Hon Chief Justice Patterson Cheltenham, other judges and lawyers, the British High Commissioner H.E. Scott Furssedonn-Wood, and young lawyers. I thank Barbados Bar Association President Kaye Williams and her team for a superlative job of making the arrangements, and in each place that follows I thank the many persons who made the most excellent arrangements – to name just a few, in Saint Lucia Deale Lee, Sir Dennis Byron and Renée St. Rose, in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Hon Rene Baptiste and SVG Bar Association President Shirlan “Zita” Barnwell, in Grenada Sabrita Khan-Ramdhani, Lady Anande Trotman-Joseph, Ruggles Ferguson and Francis Paul and in British Virgin Islands Hon. Dancia Penn KC and Ms. Brittney Smith.
In St. Lucia, discussions were held with Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Chief Justice Dame Janice Pereira about potential collaboration and the need for an Industrial Court. During meetings there, I invited her, other judges, judicial officers and lawyers to Malta and to join the CLA and participate in its activities.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, I met Hon. Attorney General Mr. Grenville Williams at the Office of the Attorney General, Senior Crown Counsel Cerepha Harper-Joseph, Crown Counsel/YCLA Rep. Moureeze Franklyn as well as Senior Magistrates Colin John and Tammika McKenzie and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Keisal Peters and Parliamentary Secretary Shackell Bobb. I was also received by Her Excellency Dame Susan Dougan GCMG, OBE St. Vincent and the Grenadines Governor General at Government House and the Executive Members of the SVG Bar Association. During a meeting with High Court Criminal Judge Justice Rickie Burnett, the possible formation of a Criminal Law Committee within the CLA was discussed. That request was echoed in all of the countries visited on this tour.
In Grenada I received such a warm welcome in from Lady Anande Trotman-Joseph, President of the Grenada Bar Association Francis Paul and Mrs. Sabrita Khan Ramdhani. In Grenada, I met the Grenada Bar Executive Council Miss Netfa Francis, Miss Savannah Seales, President Mr. Francis Paul, Secretary Ms. Carah St. Paul and Miss Aisha McLean. I also met the Attorney General Senator Claudette Joseph accompanied by Mrs. Sabrita Khan- Ramdhani, Dr. Sir Lawrence Joseph, Attorney and Managing Partner at the Law Office of Joseph and Joseph in Grenada, Resident Judges of the WIAS Supreme Court of Grenada Justice Paula Gilford, Justice Raulston Glasgow, Justice Agnes Actie and Registrar of the Supreme Court of Grenada Mrs. Melissa Garraway-Nelson, all of whom expressed their interest in attending CLC Malta 2025.
In the British Virgin Islands, I had a breakfast meeting with the BVI Bar Association, followed by a meeting with Hon. Attorney General Dawn Smith on a potential CLA corporate and commercial conference in the BVI, institutional membership and involvement in CLA committees. I was also able to meet Jack Husbands, Chairman of the Labour Tribunal Barry Leon and Brittney Smith, Second Vice President of the BVI Bar Association. We discussed restorative justice, peer mediation and other issues affecting the BVI. I had discussions with Justice Sonya Young on the potential training through the CLA and the CMJA on judgment writing, judicial ethics, case management, and practical procedure.
I took part in a media interview with Ronn Grant of 284 Media about engagement by lawyers in the CLA and the benefit of the CLA to the public at large.
I completed my journey at the 39th Annual International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) FraudNet Spring Conference 2024 held in the British Virgin Islands, where I urged them to join the CLA and attend the CLC Malta 2025.
Overall, the month was marked by fostering connections with the CLA across the Caribbean and discussing potential collaborations and initiatives.
Peter D Maynard KC
CLA President
