BAR ASSOCIATION of SAINT LUCIA

P.O. BOX 349 CASTRIES, ST. LUCIA

Email : barassoc iat ions lu@outlook.com President: Mrs. Mary Juliana Charles Secretary: Mr. Ramon Raveneau V. President: Ms. Trudy O. Glasgow Treasurer: Ms. Lorraine Debra Glace ________________________________________________________________________ 28th July, 2015. The Hon. Minister of Justice Ministry of Justice Waterfront Castries. Dear Sir, Further to my letter dated 1st July, 2015 which to date has not been acknowledged, I wish to once again bring to your attention the Bar’s concerns about the situation which is currently plaguing the operations of the Court. To date, there has been no official communication from your Ministry as to the current status of the Court building and what steps, if any, are being taken to either improve its air quality or to provide alternative accommodation for the court. The Bar has heard rumors of plans to relocate the Civil Court to La Place Carenage and of architectural drawings being prepared for the layout of the court. If so, it is hoped that the Bar will be afforded the opportunity of having some input into the design of the court in which its members will be expected to ply their trade. The Bar is not prepared to continue to function without basic facilities like a changing room or an office where they can meet privately with their clients. The Bar has also heard rumors of the present Court building being “fixed up” for use as a Criminal Court even though, to the best of my knowledge, it has not yet been deemed suitable for human habitation. This appears to be yet another “quick fix” solution as occurred in 2010 following the Union’s refusal to allow their members to continue to work in the building. Be advised that on no account will the members of the Criminal Bar resume practice in the current Court Building unless and until it is given a clean bill of health by the relevant

authorities. The government is duty bound to provide a clean and healthy environment in which lawyers, judges, magistrates and members of the public can operate without putting their lives at risk. The Government is able to find suitable accommodation for the various government offices. There is no valid reason why, with a little effort, suitable housing cannot also be provided for the courts. Finally, we have heard through the media news of the establishment of a Commercial Court. Once again, no one has seen it fit to inform the Bar of this development. It is hoped that in the future, the Bar will be treated with a little more respect and that it will be kept abreast of developments pertaining to the justice system, especially those which directly affect its members. I trust that our concerns will be addressed sooner rather than later. Yours faithfully, M. Juliana Charles ………………………………….. MARY JULIANA CHARLES PRESIDENT – BAR ASSOCIATION OF SAINT LUCIA