MEMBERS OF THE Bar Association have been criticised for leaking a letter to the NATION.
President Leslie Haynes, QC, in correspondence sent yesterday to the association’s 700-odd membership described the action as a betrayal of confidence and trust.
“I wish to express my deep disappointment that a letter written to the Chief Justice and circulated to members of the Bar would have found its way into the public domain by way of publication in the NATION newspaper.
“ . . . I did not believe that any member of the Bar would have betrayed the confidence and trust that I had placed in him/her,” Haynes said.
Thursday’s DAILY NATION carried a front page story highlighting the Bar Association’s complaints about the “dysfunction of the civil justice system of Barbados”.
In the letter addressed to acting Chief Justice Sherman Moore, the Bar Association said it was concerned that the delinquency offended the constitutional right of people’s access to justice.
In his letter of concern to members, Haynes said the Bar Association had achieved results following previous meetings with the Chief Justice.
“The publication of this letter in the media without even obtaining a response from the Chief Justice fails to recognise the mutual respect and cordial relationship that must exist between Bench and Bar and the necessary protocols that must be observed between the two.” (TS)
