Solicitor General Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell has resigned from the post after three years on the job at the Ministry of the Attorney General.Donaldson-Honeywell's resignation was confirmed yesterday by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, who highly commended her work.Ramlogan said she resigned for personal reasons he could not disclose. He referred queries on the reasons to Donaldson-Honeywell, saying it was a matter for her.Donaldson-Honeywell, however, could not be reached for comment.
Asked about whether any pressure had been brought on her from within the ministry and about what could have led to her sudden departure, Ramlogan said:
"Any attempt to make this into a political issue by suggesting that the Government applied pressure to the solicitor general to resign, or to have her removed from office, is simply false, malicious and mischievous."The Government cannot apply pressure to remove the solicitor general because it is an independent office and she is appointed to serve by the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, chaired by the Chief Justice."
Ramlogan, who said they got along very well, added: "It is indeed a loss for the State as Mrs Donaldson-Honeywell was an excellent solicitor general and I enjoyed working with her a lot."Her resignation, however, does not come as a complete surprise, as the matter had been under discussion for some time, as she had previously signalled her desire to resign due to personal reasons.
"I had asked her to stay on then because of certain critical matters and because I felt I required her support and assistance."He added: "She performed her duties in a professional, competent and dignified manner and I salute her efforts and thank her for the yeoman service that she has rendered. I wish her the very best in her endeavours."Ramlogan said a replacement would be a matter for the Judicial and Legal Service Commission.
Donaldson-Honeywell took up the position of Solicitor General in January 2010 after being appointed by the commission and sanctioned by then Prime Minister Patrick Manning.Before that, the post had been vacant since 2006. Donaldson-Honeywell's predecessor was Lynette Stephenson who served for ten years until 2006.Donaldson-Honeywell is a former magistrate of the magistracy of Jamaica and was a member of the Fair Trading Commission.
In 2012, Donaldson-Honeywell, daughter of former People's National Movement (PNM) chairman John Donaldson, was proposed for the honour of senior counsel (silk) by Ramlogan that year and it was approved by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Sources said yesterday that Donaldson-Honeywell, who had relatives overseas, may be migrating.
Senior counsel Israel Khan also heaped praises on her yesterday.He said: "Mrs Donaldson-Honeywell will be surely be missed. Both she and her father were in my tutoring sessions on criminal practice and evidence and she was always an industrious person. She has the necessary merit and ability to hold high office as the Solicitor General."She has made a valuable contribution as Solicitor General and was a very good one. I wish her every success in whatever she does."
However, several PNM officials yesterday expressed surprise that Donaldson-Honeywell was quitting after only three years on the job.Noting the vacancy to come in the Solicitor General's division, they also pointed to criticisms of the Manning administration by Ramlogan and others now in government when the position was vacant for four years.Also contacted yesterday, Law Association president Seenath Jairam said he was in meetings all day and did not know Donaldson-Honeywell had resigned.