PM Kamla, AG Ramlogan elevated to Senior Counsel (Silk)

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan are among 14 lawyers who will receive the title of Senior Counsel, the highest level of the local bar.

Persad-Bissessar has written to President Max Richards informing him of the decision to confer the title to the persons on the list.

The list includes:

1. Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard
2. Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Barry Sinanan
3. Chief Justice Ivor Archie
4. Justice of Appeal Wendell Kangaloo 
5. Surendranath Capildeo
6. Sophia Chote
7. Stephanie Daly
8. Vernon De Lima
9. Christo Gift
10. Dennis Gurley
11. Norma Maynard-Marshall
12. Solicitor General Eleanor J Donaldson-Honeywell
13. Chief Parliamentary Counsel Ian MacIntyre
14. Chairman of the Law Reform Commission Samraj Harripaul

The President will issue the letters of appointment as senior counsels at 11 am Friday.

The list is traditionally prepared by the Attorney General and minister in charge of legal affairs. The Prime Minister gives the final approval, usually in consultation with the Chief Justice and legal bodies such as the Law Association and the Criminal Bar Association.

The requirements for elevation to silk includes:

• professional eminence and distinction which establishes them as leaders of the profession
• sound intellectual ability and a thorough, comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of law and practice in the fields in which they practice
• outstanding ability as an advocate in the higher courts
• the highest professional standing, having gained the respect of the Bench and the profession in observing the advocate’s duty to the court and to the administration of justice while presenting their client’s case and being formidable, fair and honourable as an opponent
• total professional integrity
• maturity of judgment and balance
• a high quality practice with at least ten years experience and one based on demanding cases which allow the full measure of the above qualities to be demonstrated

Persad-Bissessar is the first attorney to get the title while serving as prime minister since ANR Robinson. Robinson became Prime Minister in 1986.

Ramlogan is not the first AG to give himself silk status. Others who did include: John Jeremie, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Keith Sobion and Selwyn Richardson.

Ramlogan has appeared in more than 40 Privy Council cases, 19 Court of Appeal matters, and 45 High Court cases. He has also appeared before the Caribbean Court of Justice.