ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

April 17, 2010

The Association's 30th Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday April 17, 2010 at the Institute of Jamaica, 12 East Street, Kingston.  More than 140 members were present.  The Report of Council and the Audited Financial Statements for the Financial Year Ended September 30, 2009 were received and accepted.

The incumbent President and Vice President, Mrs Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Mr Ian Wilkinson were both returned, unopposed, to office.

The following persons were duly elected to Council.

  1. Miss Norma Linton, QC

  2. Mrs Sandra Minott-Phillips

  3. Miss Linda Wright

  4. Mr Maurice Manning

  5. Mrs Michele Champagnie

  6. Miss Althea McBean

  7. Mr Gavin Goffe

The motions tabled by Capt. P. Alexander Beswick were not carried.

The following resolution was duly passed:

 

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

(i) The Bar Association establish a special subcommittee of the Association with a mandate to canvass and solicit the views of members of the association as regards the direction which the Bar Association should take in relation to the GLC and the Disciplinary Committee in the best interest of the members of the profession with a further mandate to make recommendations and lobby where it deems necessary to amend the Legal Profession Act;

(ii) The Bar Association lobby for the adoption by the Disciplinary Committee of written rules of procedures for the hearing of proceedings to augment the existing rules of the Fourth Schedule of the Legal Profession Act in order to promote greater transparency in disciplinary procedures and proceedings before its body in the interest of members of the profession.

(iii) The Bar Association lobby for the establishment of a website by the GLC on which are made available, inter alia, the names of the members of the GLC and the Disciplinary Committee and the dates of their appointment; the Legal Profession Act and the Rules for the hearing of disciplinary proceedings; the list of names of attorneys struck off or suspended from practice (noting where applicable that the decision of the Disciplinary Committee is on appeal); the names of persons who have applied for admission to the Bar, the procedure for filing a compliant against an attorney and such matters as may be of general interest to attorneys and members of the public .

(iv) The Bar Association lobby the GLC to launch an education campaign on the role of the GLC in "upholding the standards of professional conduct" to instill in the public confidence that the regulatory functioning of the Disciplinary Committee is carried out without favour.

(v) The Bar Council meet with the executive of the Four Bar Associations to come to a common position in relation to the issues raised herein in the interest of the entire legal profession and for the protection of the public.