Roadtown, Tortola - Honourable Kathleen Quartey, Attorney General of the Virgin Islands (U.K.) represented the Territory at the Fifteenth Legal Affairs Committee (LAC) Meeting of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States in St. Lucia.

Hon. Quartey joined Attorneys General from the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the March 23-25 meeting, which was chaired by the host Attorney General, Hon. Dr. Frederick Nicholas.

Speaking to the Department of Information and Public Relations Ms. Quartey described the meeting as a “constructive forum for the review of draft, model legislation aimed at attaining a good measure of harmonization in the passage and application of laws within the Eastern Caribbean region.”

The Attorneys General reviewed and expressed continued support for the final drafts of the status of children, children (care and adoption), child justice and domestic violence bills.  Ms. Quartey explained that, “these drafts are the result of initial preparation by the consultants of the United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and have spanned a period of six years of consultation with stakeholders, including Attorneys General at previous meetings.”  She added that “the time for action has come and the target is to have all these model laws adapted domestically or nationally and enacted this year.”

Also discussed at the meeting were trade matters, which entailed further examination of updated drafts concerning Eastern Caribbean Competition matters, including a draft Competition Bill and the World Trade Organisation issues and European Community Economic Partnership (CARIFORUM) Agreement.

On the final day of the meeting, His Lordship the Chief Justice, Honourable Justice Hugh A. Rawlins, attended a session and discussed matters affecting the delivery of justice and the legal profession.  He updated the participants on the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) Family and Commercial Divisions and the proposed Integration of the Magistracy, to name a few.

The Fourteenth Legal Affairs Committee Meeting was held in the Virgin Islands (U.K.) in June 2008.