Bridgetown.
The House of Assembly passed an amendment to the Supreme Court of Judicature Act at 12.30 this morning, paving the way for the appointment of eminent Barbadian lawyer Marson Gibson as Chief Justice of Barbados.
Under section 7 of the Act, an applicant must have practised law in the Commonwealth for 15 years to be eligble for appointment as either Chief Justice or a judge of the Courts of Appeal.
Gibbson has been working in the United States for the past 20 years, Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite, who led Government's arguments, stressed legislation would not be kept that prohibited any Barbadian from country contributing to his or her country's overall development.
He said that it was untenable that a lawyer who did not understand English qualified under existing legislation to be Chief Justice of Barbados, but an eminently qualified Barbadian was barred because he had not practised his profession in a Commonwealth country for the 15-year peroid stipulated under current law.
Deputy Opposition Leader Dale Marshall stated that it was unfortunate Government was amending legislation simply to accommodate one man.
During her contribution to the debate, former Opposition Leader Mia Mottley revealed that the late Prime Minister David Thompson had, as required by law consulted her on Gibson's appointment and she had offered no objections.
She noted that she was not aware there were issues pertaining to his appointment.
Mottley stressed that relevant letters to her did not have a curriculum vitae and her assumptions were made in good faith.
The amendment ws passed by 19 votes to 9.
