Law Association Elections 2012

CALLING ALL ATTORNEYS

A POLITE REMINDER TO CAST YOUR BALLOT IN FAVOUR OF:

Israel B. Khan SC: President

Patricia Dindyal: Vice President

28th March 2012 at 3:00 p.m.

(i) Hall of Justice – Port of Spain(ii) High Court – San Fernando(iii) High Court – Tobago

I call upon all those who are minded to vote for me as President to also cast your ballots in favour of PATRICIA DINDYAL as Vice President. I need an experienced and industrious Vice President to assist me, together with a vibrant 15 member council. Thus I am hoping that the following women will be elected, based on their merit, ability and integrity: LESLIE ANNE LUCKY-SAMAROO, LYNETTE SEEBARAN-SUITE, DONNA PROWELL-RAPHEL and HYACINTH GRIFFITH.

I do not have a slate of candidates. All other candidates will have to win their positions on their own steam, including my son Daniel (junior ordinary member).

LARRY LALLANOTICE NO. 1

I wish to dispel a rumor that I am in support of Larry Lalla for the position of Vice Chairman and in the alternative the position of Senior Ordinary Member.

I DO NOT SUPPORT Larry Lalla, and cannot in good conscience support him for any position on the Council. At the appropriate time, you the attorneys would know why I have taken this decision.

But please be advised that I am in full support of PATRICIA DINDYAL for the post of Vice President.

I call upon all my supporters to vote for her. I need an experienced and hard working Vice President to assist me, together with a vibrant 15 member council. Thus I am hoping the following women will be elected: Leslie Anne Lucky-Samaroo, Lynette Seebaran-Suite, Donna Prowell-Raphael and Hyacinth Griffith.

All other candidates will have to win their position on their own steam-including my co-campaign manager Jagdeo Singh (senior ordinary member) and my son Daniel (junior ordinary member)

Israel.

LARRY LALLANOTICE 2

TO: All Attorneys

I DO NOT SUPPORT LARRY LALLA FOR ANY POSITION ON THE COUNCIL IN THIS ELECTION.

Why: He won us over with an honest trifle by signing my nomination form for the position of President but within 48 hrs. he pledged his support to the rival candidate Ms. Seetahal SC without giving me or my campaign team any reason whatsoever.

HE WAS A “GENTLEMAN” ON WHOM I HAD BUILT AN ABSOLUTE TRUST BUT HE CANNOT BE TRUSTED. HE BETRAYED US IN DEEPER CONSEQUENCES.

My dear fellow attorneys, this is TREACHERY, can you trust such a person to be objective, and dispassionate in discussions and deliberations vis a vis Council matters?

I call upon all supporters who are minded to vote for me as President, not to saddle me with him as my Vice President or even as a member of Council.

Israel B. Khan SC

MANIFESTO: Some PointsIsrael B. Khan SC

Your Candidate for the position of President of the Law Association

“If I am elected President, it is my intention to persuade the Law Association to accept and adopt the following as a policy document to implement the items hereunder mentioned.”

(1) Obtain 99 year lease for Mille Fleurs Building for Association Head Quarters.

(2) Amend the Constitution to replace the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as our final Court of Appeal. [After 50 years of independence no less must be tolerated].

(3) Amend the Constitution and L.P.A. (1986) mutatis mutandis to include a member of the Law Association Council:

(a) On the Judicial and Legal Service Commission. [Law Association must have a direct input in the appointments of Judges and Magistrates].

(b) In the Senate for five years to express the views/opinions of the Law Association in Parliament. [The Law Association is the watchdog of the Constitution and we must have a voice in Parliament].

(c) As a Commissioner on the Law Reform Commission to discuss prepared Bills and Amendments to the Laws of Trinidad and Tobago. [A Bill to abolish Jury Trial (under certain circumstances) was actually drafted by the last Administration and it was at the eleventh hour Lawyers became aware].

(4) Amend the L.P.A. (1986) to accommodate the following:

(a) A representative from (i) Tobago Lawyers Association, (ii) Criminal Bar and (iii) Southern Assembly of Lawyers – to be members of The Law Association Council. [Unique problems exist for (i, ii, and iii). Each representative will have a say in those matters. All regions will be represented.]

(b) Revamp and revise the Code of Ethics to bring same within the ambit of a dynamic and modern Legal Profession.

SEE FACE BOOK FOR REST.

The Law Association as it now stands is a toothless tiger and the President is the toothless mouthpiece of the toothless tiger.

The Law Association has been deliberately been moulded in a certain manner to make it into a toothless tiger so that the status quo of the profession and the society can remain intact.

I am of the view that the Association is the watchdog of the Constitution and the Rule of Law. It must be moulded into a proweful and influential organization that will keep the politicians, Judges and lawyers on their toes in the pursuit of our Nation well being.

THERE ARE MANY BRIGHT YOUNG ATTORNEYS WHO WILL NOT FOLLOW THE PATH OF THE OLD ORDER ONCE THEY ARE AFFORDED THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP.

I stated in my manifesto that I am:….”a revolutionary leader, and innovative leader…..a man who is not afraid to stand up for lawyers….remember the Law Association abandoned me in my quest for justice with the Nehru Suit issue….This must never happen again….you saw me performing my duty on T.V. coverage of my cross-examination of Calder Hart. I ask for your vote not to promote my self-aggrandizement, but to work with Council members as equal partners in promoting the interests and welfare of all lawyers in Trinidad and Tobago.”

Dear Attorneys, Keep these issues in mind before you cast your votes.

(a) Ms. Dana Seetahal SC disrespected Council members by failing to inform them [before the announcement of the Award of Silk] that either the A.G. consulted her or had a private conversation with her on the Award of Silk to various persons.

(b) Seetahal SC brought the Association into dispute and disrepute when she told the public she was not consulted and the A.G. is saying she is a stranger to the truth on this issue. He even wrote the President indicating that she was consulted. And you will recall the President himself at the ceremony of the Award of Silk had announced to the Nation that the Law Association amongst others, was consulted.

(c) What is her excuse for not offering on behalf of the Association an apology to me for the Association’s abdication of its duty to protect my interests in a Court of Law? Instead she attempted to belittle the Judgment of the Court of Appeal on this issue of the Nehru Suit by erroneously stating it was a personal matter and it did not concern the legal profession.

Her comments were published in the printed media. I quote: “Regarding criticism she failed to support Khan when the Nehru Jacket issue was raging”, Seetahal said: “Mr. Khan’s matter which is one of thousands of matters might be very important to him, but it is not necessarily important to the rest of the world.”

What crap! The judges of the Court of Appeal held differently: A. Mendonca J.A. (President), P. Jamadar J.A. and R.Narine J.A. held:

“This matter involves an obvious public element….serious questions of importance in relation to the general administration of Justice…and also issues of legal professional ethics.” [see page 7 to 8 of Judgment].

……Why is Seetahal SC so obviously wrong about this judgment being a personal matter and unimportant to the legal profession? Is this her excuse for not offering an apology on behalf of the Association to me for their abdication of their duty to protect my interests in a Court of Law? And is the issue of saying the A.G. did not consult her on the Award of Silk the excuse for not discussing same with her Council Members.

Ms. Seetahal SC owes an apology to all attorneys (but especially East Indian Attorneys) and the Judiciary for attempting to belittle the significance and importance of the Judgment vis a vis the Nehru Suit.

I call upon all attorneys to put aside their idiosyncrasies (if any) be they political, racial, religious, gender or class. Let us unite as one strong organization under the leadership of a revolutionary, innovative and vibrant Council.

Justice For All,

Israel B. Khan SC for President.

Patricia Dindyal for Vice President and the others whom you will elect on 28 th

March, 2012. I sincerely hope you will include in your elections based on their respective, merit, ability and integrity the following: LESLIE ANNE LUCKY-SAMAROO, LYNETTE SEEBARAN-SUITE, DONNA PROWELL-RAPHEL and HYACINTH GRIFFITH.

United we Stand, Divided we fall.

Israel B. Khan SC.

MERLIN A. BOYCE: “a certain view”

“It pains me deeply to see what was once a great friendship now being ruptured in the public domain. Mr. Israel Khan SC and Ms. Dana Seetahal SC are my learned friends and classmates…I know she has always admired and respected Israel and was grateful to have been in his chambers, Justitia Omnibus…..

I think in the interest of friendship…Israel should graciously withdraw from the contest on this occasion. I have no doubt that in his own inimitable style, he would be able to convince his colleagues to vote for him next time.

Israel, in this Lenten season, let me remind you that no greater love has he than he who lays down his life for his friend.”[quote from Merlin’s letter, Express, March 18, 2012.

ISRAEL B. KHAN’S RESPONSE

Democracy and responsibility as a leader at the bar compel me to stay in the race for President of the Law Association

And Merlin, do you want me to sacrifice justice, fairplay and my democratic right to run for office so that our mutual friend, Dana can continue to mould the Association into a toothless tiger? The truth is that the Law Association is really very much a toothless tiger and the President is the toothless mouthpiece of the toothless tiger.

There are many bright young attorneys who will not follow the path of the old order once they get the right leadership.

And so I must say to you my dear colleague and friend I cannot abdicate my responsibility to the legal profession and my county. I have no choice but to stay in the race. And who knows, after all is said and done maybe our good friend, Dana Seetahal SC will win the presidency in this election. Thus you must strongly advise her to stay in the race. The better candidate will eventually be chosen by the lawyers.

My manifesto, my merit, ability and integrity, my innovative and revolutionary modus operandi throughout my practice of law makes me the obvious choice to lead the Association at this point in time.

SOME PHOTOS:

Karl Hudson-Phillips QC whispered a secret into the ear of Seetahal SC at her farewell function hosted by Israel at his chambers :Justitia Omnibus.

Israel Khan SC comforts and congratulates Dana Seetahal SC at the reception he hosted for her on her departure from Justitia Omnibus to establish her own Law Office: “El Dorado Chambers”.

At the same party Israel tells a story about Dana – “friends in stitches”.

IS THE FRIENDSHIP INTACT OR OVER

Dana: “It might be a friendship of opportunism or convenience. If you had a friend like that would you need enemies.”

Israel: “What irony about her utterance of friendship of opportunism or convenience”

“And by the way Merlin please remind her that you know “she has always admired and respected Israel and was grateful to have been in his chambers, Justitia Omnibus.”

THANKS TO ATTORNEYS

I thank the many attorneys who are in support of my candidacy for the position of President of the Law Association.

I urge and call upon all those attorneys who are undecided as to whom they will vote for as President to “rethink” my manifesto and to evaluate my merit, ability and integrity in the profession: Your intellect and emotions will push you towards me: At least I hope so.

And those of you who are committed to my learned friend Ms. Seetahal SC, if you really believe that Dana will “make” a better president than me then I expect you to vote for her. What I do not expect is for you to harbour a doubt about her and you stay away from the polls. [San Fernando, Port of Spain, Tobago]. Good sense will demand that in that predicament, you give me the benefit of the doubt: Then you vote for me.

I CALL UPON ALL ATTORNEYS TO PUT ASIDE THEIR IDIOSYNCRASIES (if any) BE THEY POLITICAL, RACIAL, RELIGIOUS, GENDER OR CLASS.

LET US UNITE AS ONE STRONG ORGANIZATION UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF A REVOLUTIONARY, INNOVATIVE AND VIBRANT COUNCIL.

Your President “designate” Israel Buntay Khan SC.