At the annual meeting of the Council of Legal Education held in Jamaica in September 2005, the Council took a decision that if no arrangement was agreed upon, and implemented, between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and the Council for the settlement of the chronic arrears owing to the Council by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the Council would restrict nationals of Antigua and Barbuda from having access to its Law Schools with effect from the academic year 2007. This decision was taken by the Council with much regret and because the Government of Antigua and Barbuda has made no payment whatsoever towards its contribution arrears owed to the Council of Legal Education for in excess of nine years.  No other member Governments failure to pay has ever existed for as long as that of Antigua and Barbuda.  The Councils decision on this matter is being publicly announced as it is intended for potential students who may be contemplating embarking upon legal education. 

 

This long outstanding non-payment of contribution arrears owed to the Council resulted in the Council taking a decision several years ago that nationals of Antigua and Barbuda be required to pay the economic cost in order to attend the Councils Law Schools.  Payment of such economic cost since that time (whether by students or the Government of Antigua and Barbuda) did not address in any way the chronic contribution arrears owed to the Council by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.  The non-payment of these contribution arrears threatens the financial and institutional capacity of the Council to operate the Law Schools.  It is therefore imperative that these arrears be addressed by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda as a matter of urgency.

 

The Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Mr J. Emile Ferdinand, said that he has held discussions on the matter with the Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda the Hon. Mr.  Justin Simon QC and the Minister of Finance the Hon. Dr. Errol Cort and that he has been heartened by the views expressed by both the Attorney General and Minister Cort and looks forward to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda demonstrating a historic break with the past by making a substantial payment and proposing, and implementing, a reasonable schedule for addressing the balance of the arrears.  Mr. Ferdinand said that the Council not only hopes, but expects, that the Government of Antigua and Barbuda will shortly make some payment on account and put forward reasonable and workable proposals for the settlement of this long outstanding indebtedness to the Council of Legal Education.  The Council is willing to work with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to resolve this matter, but the Council needs some tangible commitment from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda with which to work, said Mr. Ferdinand. 

 

The Chairman further stated that, The Council of Legal Education has, in less than a generation, transformed the legal landscape throughout the Commonwealth Caribbean by making legal education more relevant, more accessible and more egalitarian.  Such transformation has given practical expression to the often-voiced recognition of the importance of the Rule of Law and the impact of Law as an instrument of orderly social, political and economic change.

 

The Council of Legal Education is a regional Caribbean organization established by Treaty in the early 1970s and which operates the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas.

 

 

COUNCIL OF LEGAL EDUCATION