A healthy and prosperous New Year (2018) to you and your family.
2017 was another successful year for the Bar Association of Saint Lucia despite some odds - hurricane threats, sadness by the devastation of our sister islands, hardship on lawyers re. increase of filing fees on an already burdensome profession whose services most members of the public cannot pay for, in particular the succession law services - the list can go on and on but the Bar Association of Saint Lucia nevertheless found time and resources to host its educational seminars for lawyers and the public.
The Bar held a cocktail party in May, 2017 to welcome Justices, The Honourable Madam Kimberley Phulgence and The Honourable Godfrey Smith S.C.
The Hilford Deterville Continuing Education Seminar for Members of the Bar Association was held on 19th October, 2017, a big thank you to our esteemed presenter Mr. Horace Fraser, former Magistrate and now member of the Bar Association of Saint Lucia for taking us through Article 28 of the Code of Civil Procedure Cap.243 and its implementation as regards case law. In attendance were members of the family and friends of the late Hilford Deterville, Q.C. We are grateful for your continued support.
The Bar Association of Saint Lucia received useful instructions BY PRESENTER MRS. ANDREA GAILLARD-ST.ROSE a Member of the Bar Association of Saint Lucia and an accomplished and highly qualified Accountant at a seminar and workshop entitled THE CLIENTS' ACCOUNT , IMPORTANCE AND PROPER MANAGEMENT held on 10th November, 2017.
The annual Memorial Public Lecture mandated by the OECS BAR to be held by all constituent Bars, took place in Saint Lucia on the 23rd November, 2017. Inaugurated in 2015, the 3rd Sir Vincent Floissac Memorial Public Lecture was presented by esteemed Queen's Counsel Dexter Theodore, Esq. who delighted all the attendees with his presentation, captioned SIR VINCENT'S INSIGHTFUL INTERPRETATION OF THE CIVIL CODE. THANK YOU Mr. Theodore. In attendance were the daughters of Sir Vincent Mrs. Brenda Floissac-Fleming and Miss. Heather Floissac , the other Floissac family and the Staff of Floissac & Fleming.
Our gratitude is without limitation.
A big thank you to colleague, Miss. Lorraine Debra Glace for opening to us her nicely decorated property for a Christmas party held for the Bar Association of Saint Lucia on 12th December,2018 all persons in attendance had a "whale of a time".
2018 - I invite you my colleagues to share your ideas with me via email for the betterment of members of the Bar Association of Saint Lucia. Please do so early so that the Bar Council may review and to prepare a slate of activities for the benefit of us all.
I know that you are all busy as I am - but may I request the involvement of many more lawyers in the Association? Your patronage is of great importance to this honourable profession.
I cannot help but mention that some of us are repeatedly bringing the morale of the legal profession to disrepute.
I receive too many complaints from members of the public about lawyers co-mingling clients' funds, issuing cheques that are dishonoured and /or making short payments of clients' funds to other lawyers thus placing their colleagues in an extremely embarrassing position. Most disturbing is that the same lawyers are complained about repeatedly. Most of those complaints are about some of the lawyers who do not pay Bar Fees which may be connoted as not being members of the Bar Association. They are granted Practising Certificates paid for either by themselves or by other benevolent colleagues. This is not to say that I am not in favour of assisting colleagues. What irks me is that the very colleagues who are assisted, continue to "bluff" clients, issue dishonoured cheques, making short payments of funds entrusted to them and the list goes on and on. I ask myself and would like to ask you colleagues how can one combat such callous behaviour? What is so difficult about receiving a purchase price or proceeds of a bank loan on behalf of a client or another lawyer's client and paying out such proceeds PROMPTLY. O my God. What is so difficult.
I do not see those repeat offenders at the seminars which are intended to boost and educate lawyers. I do not wish to cast aspersions but the seminar and workshop on the Clients' account was poorly attended. only 19 of us were in attendance. Was it a co-incidence?
I wish to once again call on those lawyers who misuse clients' funds to STOP THE PRACTICE IMMEDIATELY or your names shall be published.
Members of the public must be protected from this bad practice. Lawyers who do not interfere with clients' funds must be protected from bad publicity.
Attached please find a Report on the Bar Secretariat.
MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS ALL OF US AND OUR FAMILIES AND ALSO PROTECT US FROM HARM.
