THE Ministry of Legal Affairs on Thursday called on former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall to retract statements suggesting that government will be paying over $6M to its recently-appointed Ministerial Council of Advisors.

In a statement, the Ministry said the appointment of the five persons:Justices Duke Pollard, James Patterson, Claudette Singh, Professor Harold Lutchman and Professor Rudolph James will not prove burdensome. The Advisors will receive “a mere monthly honorarium of $20,000 for the chairperson and $15,000 for each member. “Therefore, stating that the Council of Legal Advisers would incur a monthly cost of $6, 665,000 is grossly erroneous and misleading, and must be rescinded,” the statement continued.
The Ministry made it clear that the “highly decorated personnel” appointed by the President to assist Williams in the discharge of his official duties are “appointed as members of the Ministerial Council of Legal Advisors and not staff appointees at the Ministry of Legal Affairs.”
Meanwhile, earlier Thursday during a post-cabinet press briefing held at the Ministry of the presidency, Minister of State and Cabinet Secretary, Joseph Harmon told reporters that the government sought to utilise local talent which is available.
Harmon made it clear that the appointees volunteered their services and will only be paid a “nominal sum.” “We have talent that is available in the country and …there are people who have actually been in the system who have served as judges, court of appeal judges and so on and who actually give their consent to act in that capacity.”
“I think it is something that any government will take and hold with both hands immediately. Those persons volunteered their services and I don’t know what the sum is,but I am sure it will just be a nominal sum for the advisors,” continued Harmon. Earlier this month, Harmon announced that the five prominent legal minds were approved to sit on the Ministerial Council. That Council is responsible for providing “legal analyses and advice on the development of the justice sector, the government’s legislative agenda and litigation matters, to have an input in legal policy design and to engage stakeholders with interest in the justice sector where appropriate.” The Council will be assisted in the execution of its mandate by support staff from the Ministry of Legal Affairs.