The process by which complaints are brought against lawyers is being reorganized, Bar Council President Wayne Munroe has revealed. But he emphasized that the Council could only hear complaints if they were formally lodged.
“We are streamlining the system so that complaints come for hearing. And if you break the law, you will be punished, he told The Nassau Guardian in an exclusive interview.
Noting that talk about incidents relating to unscrupulous lawyers was greater than the number of actual complaints being filed, Mr Munroe said, “We cannot judge people based on general accusation. You have to make a complaint.”
Added Mr Munroe: “One thing that the rule of law says, is that a lawyer who is said to be unscrupulous has the right to face his accuser and if his accuser has cases upheld by the Disciplinary Tribunal the lawyer will get the consequences that are due him.”
[BahamasB2B Editor’s Note: ﾠThis is an outrageous lie and Mr. Munroe knows it. ﾠIf it were true Damien Gomez, ‘Brave’ Davis, Bran McCartney, Michael Paton and numerous other ‘legal misfits’ would already be in jail. Ask Harald Fuhrmann about the ‘Disciplinary Tribunal’. It is a crony-protection racket whose only function is to summarily dismiss complaints against corrupt lawyers in a ‘legally palatable’ manner.]
Once a complaint is filed with the Bar, the barrister in question is informed in writing and given 14 days to respond. If the barrister fails to respond within that period, the matter is immediately referred to the Ethics Committee of the Bar. In the case where the barrister does respond, the Bar then writes back to the complainant, informing him or her of the barrister’s position. If the matter is still unresolved, the case is then referred to the Disciplinary Tribunal.
“I could get sent to the Disciplinary Tribunal just like any other lawyer,” said the Bar Council President. “Nobody is above the law in The Bahamas.”
By RAYMOND KONGWA, Nassau Guardian Senior Reporter
