Attorney General Jason Hamilton outlines new Chambers plans

Basseterre, St. Kitts (CUOPM) – The Federation’s Attorney General, the Hon. Jason Hamilton says his Chambers continue to take steps to improve the efficiency with which legal services are provided to the government departments and to the general public.

“In this era, there are more demands on the Attorney General’s Chambers to provide legal services and to so we have to find new and creative ways and also to improve on what we have as a plant so that those services could be delivered in a more coherent and efficient manner,” said Mr. Hamilton as he outlined plans for fiscal year 2014 at a Cabinet Press Conference.

“We have started to increase the professional staff complement in the Chambers. There should be advertisements going out as of the next two weeks to recruit two more legal officers in the Chambers. We are also re-organizing the structure within the Chambers both administratively and professionally,” said the Attorney General, who noted that the administrative changes entail reflection more of a law office as how it runs and operates.

“Professional changes entail also having persons designating to specific areas of study within the law. So you would different departments within the Chambers, as it operates now, that is not specifically done and so there is some cross pollination but we hope by stream lining that, we can come more efficient,” the Hon. Jason Hamilton said.

He disclosed that the Chambers continues to provide training for the staff and to improve the efficiency of officers.

Mr. Hamilton also said that since the start of the new year, the resources have been improved with the acquisition of an online research facility and the law library.

“It is our view that we can’t run a successful Chambers unless we have the tools by which the lawyers are expected to operate. To improve the efficiency and to reorganize the Chambers, we plan to transform it, as I indicated earlier into a modern law facility and this might entail moving the Chambers and some plans are afoot to explore the potential and the possibilities of that happening within this fiscal year,” said the Attorney General, disclosing that this started under his predecessor, the Hon. Patrice Nisbett, who is now the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, Justice and Legal Affairs.

“The demand for services continues to increase and so the Chambers must adopt if it is to remain relevant and effective,” said Mr. Hamilton.