AG defends award of silk

Port-of-Spain: Amidst growing calls from the Opposition for him to return the silk which was bestowed on him two Fridays ago by President George Maxwell Richards on his own recommendation, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan is insisting that he will not bow to pressure to return the instrument of appointment which brought him to the rank of Senior Counsel.

Ramlogan also insists that Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar is well deserving of the title.  

Ramlogan feels brewing controversy surrounding the process used in the latest award of silk could have been avoided if his predecessors had seen it fit to formalize the award of silk.

Speaking to reporters on the issue, AG ramlogan explained legal luminaries such as Queens Counsel Karl Hudson Phillips, former president of the CCJ Micheal De labastide and Former Law Association president Senior Counsel martin Daly..all held prominent positions in the law fraternity some having served as Attornies General.

Calling criticisms against the Chief Justice and Justice Wendell Kangaloo, who both returned their silk as unfair and personal, the Attorney General questioned why more was not done in the past to ensure that the award of silk was more transparent.

Explaining why he recommended himself, Ramlogan pointed out that it's a growing practice across the region, for an Attorney General to award himself silk..as titular head of the bar.

For this he feels there's absolutely no reason for him to give up the title.