By Sue-Ann Wayow
ATTORNEY General Camille Robinson-Regis will not be getting any apology from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for claims made against her last month.
Public relations officer of the United National Congress (UNC) Dr Kirk Meighoo in a media release on Wednesday stated that Persad-Bissessar attorneys responded that day to a pre-action protocol letter sent to her by Robinson-Regis’s attorney Anthony Manwah claiming damages for defamation and an apology.
Persad-Bissessar is being represented by the Law Office of Chris Hosein.
Paid political ad
Robinson-Regis’s claims were made because of Persad-Bissessar’s statements at the UNC Cottage Meeting on March 17, during which Persad-Bissessar made statements, among other matters, about a police investigation into Robinson-Regis and that she was not the holder of a current Practising Certificate from the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago.
At that meeting, Persad-Bissessar asked whether the population would have confidence in Robinson-Regis’s appointment as Attorney General in those circumstances.
Robinson-Regis was appointed Attorney General on March 17, following the resignation of Reginald Armour.
While she admitted she was a non-practising member of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Robinson-Regis also said it did not affect her appointment as Attorney General under the Constitution.
Attorneys for Persad-Bissessar noted that as late as 2021, then Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith stated that the investigation into Robinson-Regis was ongoing, and since then, there have been no official statements in the public domain that the investigation has been concluded.
Attorneys for Persad-Bissessar questioned Robinson-Regis’s assertion through her attorney that she was no longer under any investigation and if so, questioned why no official correspondence or announcement was made.
In response, the attorneys for Persad-Bissessar countered that her statements were not defamatory of Robinson-Regis and that Persad-Bissessar was entirely justified in making those statements, which were fair comments in matters of public interest and that any person under police investigation could be arrested and charged at any time, which would obviously be of concern to the public if the holder of the office of Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago were arrested, the UNC release stated.
Attorneys for Persad-Bissessar also questioned whether Robinson-Regis was also making the threat of litigation in her official capacity as Attorney General, since her Attorneys Pre-Action Protocol Letter appears to suggest that it was and demanded clarification since the use of the Office of Attorney General to prosecute private defamation claims by the holder of that office would be a misuse of that office and have a chilling effect on democratic debate.
The letter by Persad-Bissessar’s attorney states, “Our client denies every allegation that she has defamed your client and/or caused loss or damage to her reputation. At all material times, our client was entitled to publicly and on a political platform ask your client questions and further query the public’s confidence in your client’s appointment as Attorney General. In fact, as Leader of the Opposition and a former Attorney General herself, it would be gravely irresponsible of our client not to raise those concerns in the public domain and in the public interest.”
The letter also states, “In all the circumstances, your client’s spurious and speculative claim is denied, and our client shall not apologise for any of the statements you have complained about.”
