LAWYERS in the NEWS
No single profession attracts the ire of Barbadians like lawyers. On a daily basis For example, we often hear complaints about lawyers taking unreasonably long periods of time to transfer monies from clients accounts to their clients. The complaints come from Barbadians living overseas who having entrusted life long savings (pensions) to lawyers to settle various transactions in absentia or Barbadians on the rock who have no choice but to take on the stress of the legal system to process routine transactions.
The Bar Association (BA) has done little to assuage the concerns by Barbadians that it is an efficient self regulating body. Suggestions to include ordinary folks on the BA’s Disciplinary Committee has not met with a favourable response. There is a sense lawyers and by extension the legal system has the country in a vice grip headlock. Where are ordinary citizens to turn for justice if the Court System, its trusted officers (lawyers) and the BA continue to NOT satisfactorily resolve concerns from citizenry?
BU accepts bad apples are to be found in all professions – doctors, engineers, construction class, bankers and the list is very long. However, what cannot be denied is the ‘omnipresence’ nature of the legal profession on our little society. What cannot be denies is the right of Barbadians to assign priority to issues affecting them as they think fit. The time for citizens, ordinary and others, to fight back.
Take Note Commenters
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The objective of BU LAWYERS in the NEWS page is to highlight reports of interest to the public about the activities of Barbados based lawyers.
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No Comments will be allowed.
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If you have information you think qualify email Barbados Underground by clicking on the following LINK.
Michael Simmons
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Mark Winston Goodridge
timslinger@nationnews.com
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Ernest Winston Jackman
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Therold Fields
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David Bryan
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Cheraine Parris
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Joseph H. Serrant
(please email a picture if available)
Submitted by Artaxerxes
I know of a case involving a man who received injuries as a result of being involved in an accident in Mapp Hill on November 12, 2002. He retained the services of attorney-at-law, Mr. Joseph H. Serrant, of N. Keith Simmons & Co., James Fort building, Hincks Street, Bridgetown, to act on his behalf. In 2009, it was agreed between the parties involved that the insurer, Insurance Corporation of Barbados [ICB], would pay him the sum of $12,173.78 ($14,000.00 less legal fees calculated at 12.5% plus value added tax [VAT]).
After making enquires about his settlement, he was informed that two cheques were issued to the attorney, Serrant, one which represented the payment of $12,173.78 to him, and the other for payment of legal fees to Serrant.
When contacted about the payment he received on the client’s behalf, Serrant admitted that he had made representation on behalf of the client so that the payments would be forwarded directly to him. The reason he gave for his action was that the 12.5% he received from the settlement was insufficient for his services and he was demanding a further payment of $6,000.00. He further informed the client that he would be withholding the cheque until he is paid the $6,000.00.
After learning the client sought the assistance of the police, Serrant returned the cheque to ICB and sought the services of the court to place a “stop payment” on the cheque, under the grounds that the client owed him $6,000.00. He subsequently filed a writ of Settlement of 1225 of 2004, (Exhibit JH52) on October 26, 2010 in the Supreme Court of Judicature – Civil Jurisdiction, claiming the sum of $10,251.63 from ICB as bill of cost for legal business performed on the client’s behalf, so that the company would pay the amount from the accident claim directly to him.
This guy wrote letters to the past and present presidents of the Bar Association, the Ombudsman, then and present Chief Justices, Sir David Simmons and Marston Gibson respectively, and received no favourable response. The few lawyer with whom he discussed the situation, said he had a good case, but none of them were willing to pursue the matter.
It was unreasonable for Serrant to demand a further payment of $10,251.63 out of $12,173.78, leaving a balance of $1,922.15m when he suffered no pain. But what was more unreasonable is the fact, in the itemization of the services performed in his claim of the $10,251.63 Serrant listed a charge of $800 for telephone calls he made in relation to the case.
This guy is poor and does not have the financial means to seek legal redress as was done by Griffiths, and had no choice to forfeit the money.
And this man, Serrant, can be seen on the Bridge offering the “Watch Tower” and “Awake” to passersby.
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Leroy N. Lynch
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VONDA PILE
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Philip Vernon Nicholls
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Marlon Gordon
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Richard Byer
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Michael Carrington
Speaker of the House Michael Carrington Matter Referred to the Committee of Privileges
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Gregory Nicholls
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Late Prime Minister and Attorney for Leroy Parris and CLICO David Thompson
The Late Hon Prime Minister David Thompson
The affidavit filed by the Judicial Manager states Thompson allegedly agreed to produce a false invoice to support a payment of 3.3 million dollars to Parris. Based on the foregoing we have to induct the late Prime Minister David Thompson into the Lawyers in the News BU page.
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Vonda Pile
Land row
Yet another attorney-at-law is in legal hot water with a former client.Vonda Pile, who is already facing four criminal fraud charges including money laundering, is expected to appear in the High Court next month to defend a civil suit against her…
Barbados Today
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Hal Gollop, QC and Vernon Smith, QC
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Update!
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Attorney-at-law Margot Greene in the News, Aided by Tariq Khan and Woodstock-Riley
by David on February 14, 2016 in Barbados News Edit
Probate is the procedure by which a will is approved by the Court as the valid and last will of a deceased testator (the person who made the will). It also confirms the appointment of the person named as executor in the will – Probate of the Will – Public Legal Information Service of New […]
51 Comments • Continue Reading →
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Lawyer granted $50 000 bail
Added by Barbados Today on March 8, 2016.
Saved under Local News
Allison Helen Alexander (right) making her way from court today
A lawyer accused of stealing over $150, 000 from a client was granted bail when she appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates Court today.
Trinidadian Allison Helen Alexander, 40, of #140 Breezy Hill, Halton, St Philip, denied stealing $165, 543.88 in money belonging to Cecil Marshall sometime between July 31 and September 7, 2015.
There was no objection to bail by the prosecution, so Magistrate Douglas Frederick released her on $50,000 bail with two sureties and ordered her to return to court on June 7.
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Carrington steals and was allowed to repay without penalty BUT…
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No worries
Emmanuel Joseph
August 10, 2018
Questions continue to swirl around a contentious land deal involving Attorney General Dale Marshall and Minister of Housing, Lands and Rural Development George Payne, despite a clarification yesterday by Marshall.
At issue is a strip of land at Weston, St James, which a woman with the Facebook moniker, Jackie Stewart, and who describes herself as the daughter of the apparent property owner, said was willed to her mother by Stewart’s grandmother.
The woman, who lives abroad with her mother, has been posting videos on Facebook, levelling certain allegations against Marshall and Payne, both of whom were involved in the land deal case when they were in private legal practice.
Barbados TODAY will not publish the details of the allegations because of the damaging nature of these charges.
However, while she did not give her name, Stewart’s mother joined her on the videos last July 5 to affirm the claims and criticisms against the two Queen’s Counsels in their handling of the case.
But during a press briefing at Government Headquarters yesterday to address the issue of corruption against the backdrop of last week’s indictment by a United States grand jury of former Minister of Internatioal Business Donville Inniss on conspiracy to launder US$36,000 in bribes, Marshall shot down the charges.
“I would say to you that while I do not know the lady . . . from my own involvement in a particular case, I am aware that a matter involving her mother was filed in the High Court of Barbados and I represented the other individual, the defendant, and we won the case,” the Member of Parliament for St Joseph said.
“And, therefore, having the blessings of the court decision, as far as I am concerned, there is absolutely nothing that either myself or the firm which I used to be associated with has to be concerned about.”
Still, Marshall suggested he was not about to take the public allegations lying down, stating he intended to sue Stewart for tarnishing his professional reputation.
However, he said it would not be easy, because of the challenges involved in tracking down the woman.
“We have tried to instruct attorneys, we have engaged Facebook on the matter and I think Facebook has acted. But the problem as you well know with social media is the anonymity involved. We only know the lady’s name cause she has said it. But in order to engage in a legal process to defend my own reputation, the reputation of my professional colleagues and the reputation as a whole of the legal profession, we have to find her in order to bring an action against her.
“I am satisfied though, that the reputation of the professionals involved will sustain any criticisms made by the lady,” Marshall said.
However, in a video response posted on Facebook today, Stewart, who was again joined by someone believed to be her mother, laced into the local attorney, describing his comment as a “ fiasco” and, wrongly, charging that the attorney general had claimed he had sued her and her mum.
“I could only say it’s a fiasco because unfortunately, I had the distasteful . . . [displeasure] to see Dale Marshall yesterday make out that me and my mother are liars and that he had a case and that he went to court, and he won . . . Dale Marshall, you never ever had a case. We were taking you and George Payne to court . . . not you taking us to court,” an emotional Stewart said.
She also made charges that called into question the integrity of the local court and the justice system, while claiming her family never had their day in court.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
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Illegal Company (IFL Pipeline Inc) Invoiced BWA 3.4 Million Dollars
Posted on August 22, 2018 by David 156 comments
[Barbados Underground] On the 16 August, 2018 Barbados Underground (BU) published the blog – Was Michael Carrington VAT Registered When he Invoiced the BIDC 706 thousand dollars?. The article also included a concern by the blogmaster about a 1.5 million dollar invoice submitted by Hal Gollop to the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) for services rendered. If we wanted to hammer home
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Put up a poll on that last submission and ask people if they think that the way the defendant who is a lawyer is being treated is representative of how poor people are being treated
A simple yes or no and a subjective list permitting them to choose if they think it is fair etc
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I have very strong feelings about this case but will refrain from expressing them.
Take note.
“Seale added: “You have put her in a position where she is almost a pauper and that can not be fair and all she wants is her money back, that is what she has said.”
“He revealed that at one point complainant Morrison, who was present in court, was very ill and was still recovering.”
““This is a woman who by ordinary standards was not wealthy but saving her money and now she is placed in a position of impecuniosity.”
The Lawyer should have to give the lady her money and spend 10 years in jail.
Just think of the mental anguish the lady suffered as a result of the actions of the Lawyer.
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Hants
Would you recommend imprisonment as well for Mia Mottley for the ” Mental Anguish ” she has caused / causing for :
Pensioners ?
Holders of Treasury Bills ?
Holders of Reslife policy holders ?
Foreign Bond holders ?
Just asking
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May I suggest that one way of dealing with rogue lawyers is not through the bar’s disciplinary system, but visiting them at home and talking to them.
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@ Mr. Hal Austin
Lawyers generally have Chambers.
Lawyers generally have office hours when they will meet with clients
What are you suggesting here for those clients who have contentious matters before the Disciplinary Committee?
Are you of the opinion that a visit to their homes 🏡 after office hours, to discuss these matters contentious, may be more effective in resolving the issue that going to their Chambers?
If one did not know you to be a man of strict morals one would be inclined to think that you are promoting “malice aforethought”
Such though is reserved for seditionists and treasonous hand High Treason men like that fellow Piece uh De Rock Yeah Right whose visual moniker is similar to my own.
I have to change that though lest we be considered to be the same person heheheheh
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Unless the money was used to buy ice, which was then put out in the midday sun to melt, at least it must be somewhere either as cash or as assets?
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$302,000 is not just grocery, utilities and gas money is it?
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It is unexplainable why the court continues with the adjournments in this case. Where is the consideration for then applicant?
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Judges are aware of the ‘high’ opinion the majority of the population have about the legal profession. It should not be surprising if you see them start to ‘talk the talk’.
As you can see judges are not yet prepared to ‘walk the walk’
Tough talk without the requisite tough concomitant actions can be considered as a ‘placebo’ or promises to fools.
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Shouldn’t the most recent news about Vonda Pile be added here as well?
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Breaking news.
Lawyer charged with stealing.
https://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/241250/lawyer-charged-stealing
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Thanks Hants.
He is old school.
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Haha
Old school is right.
Probably taught some younger lawyers some of his tricks as well.
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Condolences to his family and friends.
STEPHEN ARCHER must be Barbados’ poorest millionaire. For though he was awarded $2.7 million in an injury settlement. ………
The Barbados Today editorial is interesting.
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