LAW Association (LATT) president Sophia Chote, SC, on Thursday congratulated new Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, on his appointment and thanked former AG Faris Al-Rawi, now Minister of Rural Development and Local Government.
The Prime Minister reshuffled his Cabinet on Wednesday, reallocating five posts, including bringing Armour into the Cabinet. Former agriculture minister Clarence Rambharat resigned.
Chote told Newsday she did not have enough details to be able to comment on the alleged dual nationality of Dominica-born Armour, which some critics have suggested made him ineligible to be a Cabinet minister.
"I don't want to express a view without knowing the facts. I have heard that he is Dominica-born, but I don't know what his current status is. So I think it's a bit too early to ask me that question," she said. "As a former president of the Law Association, I certainly congratulate him on his appointment."
Asked her hopes for the tenure of the new AG, Chote said, "We look forward to meeting with him. In fact it is a protocol that when there is a new office-holder in a position such as that, the attorney general, the council of the Law Association seeks to have a meeting so we can address matters which we think might be of interest to the AG, and hope the AG will be able to collaborate with us to resolving some of the issues that we have."
Newsday asked for details of any such issues. She replied, "Not at this stage. We have several issues which we have concerns about. We had written to the former attorney general.
"I suspect that the new officer-holder (Armour) will need a few days at least to catch up with the body of material that he has to see, and we look forward to requesting a meeting with him, perhaps if not next week, the week after."
Asked to reflect on Al-Rawi's tenure, Chote said, "Well, we wish to thank him. We wish to thank the former attorney general for the work which he did over the past few years."
Newsday asked if any one thing stood out among Al-Rawi's achievements, such as multiplying the number of courtrooms or the passage of much legislation in Parliament.
She said, "Well, his tenure has been quite long and it has covered the span of several councils of the Law Association, so I don't think I can just off the top of my head pluck out one of these examples and give it to you."
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