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MP ACCUSES QUEEN'S COUNSEL OF BEING "UNPRINCIPLED AND UNETHICAL"
A senior lawyer has denied allegations that he represented the Government in a recent application made by a New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate which sought to have certain ballot boxes removed from the custody of the Supervisor of Elections and delivered to the Registrar of High Court.
In an interview with SEARCHLIGHT last Wednesday, Parnel Campbell QC responded to the accusation of NDP parliamentary representative for Central Kingstown St Clair Leacock in which he (Leacock) criticized Campbell for representing the ruling party in the court matter in question.
“I’m not on the Government’s pay roll in this case,” insisted Campbell. “I was not even in court when the matter was argued. I went the first morning when Mr [Anthony] Astaphan couldn’t make it.”
He further explained: “He (Astaphan) called me and asked me to do what is called ‘hold papers’ for him. That is, to go in the court and say ‘Mr Astaphan represents the Government, he cannot be here and so on…’ but I took no part in the hearing. I wasn’t paid for my services.”
Campbell did, however, admit that he advised the Government on the court matter because his professional opinion had been requested.
“I gave them some of my opinions, which I do every Monday night through the length of the nation… How come all of a sudden now they discover they should quarrel about me giving to the Government? The advice I gave was not to the party itself - the distinction must be drawn between dealing with a party and dealing with a government. As far as I am concerned we have a duly elected government in office, and I gave advice to the Government, not to ULP.”
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