A SENIOR LAWYER has admonished some of his colleagues for placing money at the forefront, rather than pursuing their clients’ rights to the end.
Sir Richard Cheltenham’s reprimand followed yesterday’s release of Pastor Jippy Doyle from jail, after prison authorities had indicated they were taking directions from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) not to release the tele-evangelist, despite his serving his sentence.
He said too often some lawyers used the alibi that they had not been paid to refuse following through on their clients’ cases.
“Often without energy, without combat . . . they used the excuse that the client can’t pay. So as a result they’ve done nothing about it,” he told the DAILY NATION.
“I’ve never gotten hold of Jippy [Doyle] and asked him if he has a cent,” he added, while noting that the prison authorities’ indication that Doyle would have been kept in prison pending the outcome of his appeal before the Caribbean Court of Justice was an attempt to trample on his rights.
“I wish that young lawyers could understand what it means to be a lawyer in protecting people’s rights and defending them,” Sir Richard said.
Sir Richard yesterday returned to Trinidad where he is currently sitting on a commission of inquiry into the Jamaat-Al-Muslimeen attempted coup in 1990.
(TS)
