Mottley’s BLP Colleague Comes to her Defence

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Jun 29 2015 – Prominent attorney-at-law and Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) stalwart Sir Henry Forde, QC, has rubbished suggestions that Opposition Leader Mia Mottley is not properly certified to practise law in Barbados.

Following comments made by Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite and two other senior Cabinet ministers during the recent Budget debate, Sir Henry admitted that Mottley did not attend any of the law schools in the Caribbean administered by the Council of Legal Education, prior to being admitted to the Bar of Barbados.

However, he strongly argued that this fact did not preclude her from practising law in the region.

“Such attendance was not necessary at the time. It was not a pre-condition to the right to practise,” argued Sir Henry.

He pointed out that “Schedule 2 to the Legal Profession Act applies to her and permitted her to practise in Barbados without having to do any prescribed course of study at a law school in the region.

“It should also be noted that pursuant to the same rules of the Council of Legal Education, Miss Mottley has been admitted to practise in the jurisdictions of St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines,” he added.

Sir Henry said he felt duty bound “to lay to rest any imputation that Miss Mottley is not properly admitted to the Bar” since he was one of two persons who had recommended her for membership of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple and had subsequently introduced her to the Bar of Barbados – the other being the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, the father of Barbados’ independence.