It has become clear that the Attorney General is attempting once again to disguise his incompetence and error-ridden tenure by publishing a hollow "achievement" document. The AG lists as accomplishments:
(1) OPV arbitration: This is not an achievement since a refund of our money from BAE is simply a rescission of contract and is just taking the country back to its original position. The net effect is: no money paid, no OPVs received and that is the position the country would have been in had this transaction not taken place.
(2) Claims against Calder Hart, Malcolm Jones, E Teck, UTT, Brian Copeland: These claims are in process. Nothing tangible or intangible has been delivered. An ongoing process is not a deliverable. Anyone can file a claim against someone else. Whether one wins or not is another issue and it is that which will determine the "achievement." In essence, these "achievements" are empty and warrant no further discussion.
This may even be a burden on the Treasury because millions will be spent on legal fees to lawyers not affiliated with the AG.
(3) Former finance minister loses against AG: How on earth can this be an achievement? Ms Tesheira is well within her rights to challenge the Civil Proceedings Rule. What if there existed a flaw? Defending this is by no stretch of the imagination an achievement. Is the AG advocating that no one should be able to challenge constitutional and civil procedures? How does he expect the law to evolve?
(4) Civil Child Abduction Authority: The International Child Abduction Act was assented to on June 25, 2008. "A statement from the Ministry of the Attorney General yesterday indicated that Attorney General Bridgid Annisette-George gave the commitment that the authority would be established by the end of September. The authority is now operational and located in the Ministry's Cabildo Chambers offices in Port-of-Spain" (Newsday, October 20, 2008.) No more to say on this.
(5) Appointment of marriage officers and commissioners of affidavits: Come on, AG.
(6) Section 34: This is really the only significant achievement the AG has made because to conceive such a brilliant idea by using the sanctity of the Parliament to achieve what we really know the intention of Section 34 to be is truly amazing. Time will tell, though, how this statement is to be interpreted.
I would like to advise the AG that a silent tongue keeps a wise head.
Richard Ramnarine
San Francique