| London law firms to help provide SIPT defense | | Print | |
| Written by Richard Green/richard@fptci.com | |||
| Thursday, 15 September 2011 08:24 | |||
|
With long-awaited criminal charges looming by the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team, two London law firms say they will help Turks and Caicos Islands law firms which might face conflicts in representing their clients. The unusual announcement came in a press release Sept. 12 from London law firm Pinsent Masons LLP and London barristers Richard Kovalevsky QC and Sean Hammond from 2 Bedford Row. “We have joined forces with a view to assisting local firms to enable them to defend clients if the SIPT object to their involvement and to advise others who have not retained counsel,” said Barry Vitou of Pinsent Masons. “We are very keen to work with local counsel and have liaised with a firm on the island to assist us if other local firms are conflicted.” Vitou wouldn’t say which firm or firms were involved, but said “ultimately I anticipate that we would likely only be able to assist one firm in relation to its client for conflict reasons. However, the ‘offer’ is open to all.” In March, SIPT lead prosecutor Helen Garlick and Attorney General Huw Shepheard said some local lawyers are suspects or witnesses in ongoing criminal investigations, making it difficult for people to get “legal advice that’s not conflicted” from the small number of TCI lawyers. “More than one practising attorney is now implicated in this investigation, and others are likely to be material witnesses,” Garlick said in a letter to the bar president. The letter cautioned that SIPT may advise some lawyers that they cannot participate in a case because of potential conflicts, citing provisions in the Legal Profession Code. “It is vitally important to the interest of justice that the legal advice comes from a lawyer that doesn’t have some other ax to grind, whether he’s got ties to particular individuals or whether he’s even a potential suspect himself,” Shepheard said in March.
|
Related Articles
Entertainment: Your Island Guide
|
Top things to do in April Top things to do in April 1. From Golfing to More... |
|
Valentine’s Day Cup 2013 model sailboat races The Middle Caicos Sailboat Association will once again present the annual model sailboat races at More... |
|
Lime and Tourist Board announce weekly Fish Fry The Turks & Caicos Tourist Board & LIME partner with Cultural Fish Fry The Turks & Caicos Tourist More... |
|
Turks & Caicos Reef Fun to host dazzling evening The Turks and Caicos Reef Fund will host its 2nd Annual Cocktail Party Reception on Jan. 26 at the More... |
|
Fashion Glam at Regent Palms The Regent Palms is inviting everyone to an evening of fashion and glamour at their event being More... |
Latest Community News
|
Cholera Clinical Management Training Held in the TCI Healthcare professionals from the TCI Health Services were trained in the Clinical Management of More... |
|
Illegal Haitian immigrants Intercepted Illegal Haitian Immigrants Intercepted, to the Repatriated According to the Ministry of Border More... |
|
Ministry of Health Reminding public about sanitation Health surveillance teams attached to the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MOHHS) have More... |
|
Scholarship applications now being accepted The Ministry of Education has announced that they are now accepting applications for scholarships More... |
|
History and traditions stay alive at the 13th annual boat races in Middle Caicos The 2013 Valentines Day Cup welcomed many fun loving residents and tourists to Middle Caicos’ More... |