A group of lawyers has formed a body called Committee of Concerned Lawyers with the mission of helping to “protect the freedoms and rights that have been won for us through the sacrifices and struggles of those who have gone before us.”
The group will introduce itself to the public at a press conference which will be held on Wednesday, August 25, 2020.
Below is a statement which has been released by the group.
Our country is at cross-roads today. We live in an unstable and uncertain world which is complicated by pandemics, huge inequality and poverty in and between persons and countries and challenges to the rule of law, especially among governing elites which threatens peace and prosperity around the world. Our problems here in Dominica are made worse by the fact that we are so small and vulnerable not only to external shocks such as natural disasters but to internal policies and conduct which threaten community solidarity and weaken our capacity to withstand these pressures.
We are in a situation that requires all hands to be on deck and as lawyers, we believe that we have a responsibility to do what we can, each according to his own capacity, to help protect the freedoms and rights that have been won for us through the sacrifices and struggles of those who have gone before us. We have therefore constituted ourselves as a Committee of Concerned Lawyers with the following objectives
Mission
The mission of the Committee of Concerned Lawyers is to educate its members, to encourage collegiality and to maintain cooperation between its members and the judiciary, to promote the honour and dignity of the legal profession, to foster the highest professional standards of integrity, honour and courtesy in the legal profession, to assist the public in accessing legal
services, to provide and recognize public service as it relates to this mission, and to advance the fair and effective administration of justice in Dominica for all.
Vision
We are a volunteer non-partisan, not for profit organization of attorneys-at-law (lawyers) in Dominica representing the interests of our members, the legal profession, the justice system and the public. The group aims to provide professional support and education to our members and to the public.
Values
The core values of the Committee of Concerned Lawyers are professionalism, equal access to the legal system for all, and an unwavering commitment to just legality and the legal profession, to each other and the clients of members of the Committee of Concerned Lawyers.
Goals
1. To maintain the honour of the legal profession and, more specifically, to promote the honour and dignity of the members of the Committee of Concerned Lawyers.
2. To increase and develop the membership of the Committee of Concerned Lawyers, recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion.
3. To eliminate bias in the legal profession and the justice system and in particular to promote the development of a culture of equality before the law.
4. To promote the fair and effective administration of justice.
5. To increase public understanding of and respect for the rule of law, the legal process, and the role of the legal profession in Dominica.
6. To develop and implement educational programmes respecting the Constitution and laws of Dominica among the youths and school children
7. To hold our public authorities accountable under law.
8. To work for and encourage the enactment of modern and just laws, including human rights, law reform and a fair legal process.
9. To assure meaningful access to justice for all citizens and residents in Dominica.
10. To preserve the independence of the legal profession and the judiciary.
11. To provide benefits, programmes and services which promote the professional growth and quality of life of the Committee of Concerned Lawyers.
12. To foster and encourage cooperation and goodwill among the members of the legal profession and in particular the members of the Committee of Concerned Lawyers.
13. To serve as a network system to facilitate professional growth and maturity of the members of the Committee of Concerned Lawyers.
14. To provide members of the Committee of Concerned Lawyers with opportunities for mentoring and social events.
15. To establish, foster and encourage networking and good relations with like-minded regional and international organizations.
16. To ensure that the Committee of Concerned Lawyers has the infrastructure, financial resources, personnel, technology and facilities to accomplish its mission and goals.
A group of UWP Lawyers hungry for power.
Is this group going to be just another dog with no teeth?
@Dog Biter
I was about to ignore your comical accusations about me, then I thought otherwise. Firstly, I don’t consume any form of alcoholic beverages. You have labeled me precisely of what you are(guilty conscience). You Mr. Dog Man and your other two triplet brothers, KID and Gary, are terminally brain dead. All three of you are desperately in need of urgent brain transplant. Instead of applauding and paying tribute to these brave, patriotic soldiers (lawyers), you prefer to eviscerate them.
For standing for the hard right against the easy wrong, for putting their careers in jeopardy, is nothing short of heroic. Don’t give up the fight. I hear the character assassination coming, the many false accusations, being leveled at you, the powerful resources of the STATE being used to destroy you. In spite of this, forge ahead.
17. To raise awareness among opposition party members that they should be held accountable under the law like any other civilians when they transgress the law and not have immunity even if they were elected to serve in parliament by their constituents, i.e, harassing elected governing officials and their families at their place of residence even if it is state funded.
Kid on the block,I know you continuously sing for not just super, but all three meals, but for once stand for something, behave like someone with basic commonsense.
I won’t question your literacy because you’re void of that,but for once act like you’re passed elementary stage.
No wonder Dominica is a lost cause.
Because I don’t sing the same song that you have on your song sheet you got so much negative things. At least I’m doing something to eat. What are you MF doing? You are as lazy as your leader. A parasite. Living on the sweat of of other persons. Go find work to do and stop the hate and jealousy you got for the PM and his Government.
They will do any and everything to see if they can put down Skerrit and his Government.
But that name gonna happen.
Who Jah bless no man curse.
That na gonna happen!
NEVER!
This is most welcomed, in Dominica, where the erosion of law & order and people’s constitutional rights are being violated, with impunity, by the powers that be.
Your courage to defend the hard right against the easy wrong will redound to the benefit of all citizens.
Be strong and resolute in your convictions as you will be viciously and relentlessly come under attack by those who wield power and their unthinking and rabid supporters. Their vile attacks are going to come in thunderous torrents. Pay them no mind as they live outside the circumference of truth, decency, honesty, fairness and goodwill.
Educate the public as to their lawful rights, do some pro bono work, and never compromise your values.
BRILLIANT MOVE! May the MEDIA, the CLERGY, the BUSINESS SECTOR and the whole of CIVIL SOCIETY take courage from this initiative and do likewise. All most Dominicans want is to coexist in peace and get a fair chance to live a comfortable life. That’s it❗ is that too hard…
@Ibo, You seem to be a heavy drinker 🥃the reason I saying so you always comes on this forum with your crazy crap without realizing facts and understanding clearly, in other words you trying to play smart which you are not clever!
At long last! Bravo! A very vital institution has risen to the occasion to enhance the preservation and sustainability of law and justice in our nation. A formidable challenge among other things, will be to ensure that the powers both present and future, be kept in check so as to guarantee best practices in the exercise of governance,to diminish any inclination to victimization and the abuse of power; as well as to minimize as much as possible any impediments to the expeditious and equitable dispensation of justice to all; regardless of social status, political preference, religion, race or origin. May it, Yah forbid, be not just another fleeting sideshow, but a truly long haul entity for nation building. Maybe, to include in their agenda, they could compliment a fresh momentum towards the actualisation of the post-election promised electoral reform (now in cold storage?) while musing on the prospect as well of the long overdue and office of the Ombudsman. Abba be greatly praised.
I will await and see if this is just bark on paper but have no teeth and no bite.
For Dominicans not in the know, this is what a lobbying group looks like. A greedy group of colonial conditioned state servants seeking to solidify their position in this impoverish former slave state. Fighting for the poor is not mentioned in their stated policy, it seems to be all about themselves. Most, if not all, are DLP’ children, looking to create a nest for themselves, a very scary development, is starting to unfold.
great initiative!
Not before time. Most of you guys have been sitting on the fence for much to long.
Believe it or not…every Dominican already have access to the legal system. But for many Dominicans the affordability or cost to access the system is a huge problem. These attorneys with their best of intention has not committed to provide their service either pro bono or a significantly reduced cost. High court matters and filing for appeal can amount to a tidy sum.
16. “To ensure that the Committee of Concerned Lawyers has the infrastructure, financial resources, personnel, technology and facilities to accomplish its mission and goals” this should be of concern to all Dominicans because substantive economic resource is required to maintain this infrastructure, even with volunteers… Not a bad idea still; just hope the Dominica community are not lead into thinking they getting the service for FREE!!!
Copied from DNO Who are members of this group ???..Also I wonder what Heather Felix Evans now thinks about the Rennith Alexis/Skerrit/villas/SavanePaille debacle she defended charging that persons on public road had trespassed comment from Tony Astaphan ..Alick and Lennox Lawrence Julian Johnson would be enlightening