The days of convicted lawyers Vonda Pile and Cheraine Parris being able to practise law in Barbados could be near an end.
That’s because the Barbados Bar Association has started the process that could lead to their eventual disbarment based on their theft convictions.
Word of this has come from its president Rosalind Smith-Millar, who told Barbados TODAY that the association also intends to proceed similarly against two other recently convicted lawyers, Ernest Jackman and Norman Lynch.
However, she stressed, the procedure to do so was not straightforward.
“There is no automatic law that states that a conviction leads to disbarment, although the Bar has made that recommendation to the Government previously for an amendment to the Legal Profession Act – one of among many amendments that we have recommended over the last five, six years,” Smith-Millar explained.
“…. But we are aware of how the public is impacted and we are in the process of undergoing the procedures which are, unfortunately, not as straightforward as one would imagine, to have something done in relation to Ms Pile and Ms Parris.”
In 2020, Parris was given a four-year sentence for stealing $302 000 from a client. She had initially appealed the sentence but in July last year, she abandoned that appeal.
Pile, meantime, was found guilty three years ago of stealing $191 416.39 from a former client and was sentenced to three years in prison. She lost her challenge to the conviction at the Court of Appeal and the Caribbean Court of Justice subsequently refused her application for special leave to appeal the decision at the Trinidad-based court.
Pile also appeared in the Supreme Court on Wednesday on additional theft and money laundering charges. She pleaded not guilty to stealing $205 481.88 belonging to Patricia Hall between January 11, 2007 and March 16, 2011, as well as engaging in money laundering related to the alleged disposal of the money.
Smith-Millar said the Bar Association had been awaiting the outcome of Pile’s appeal in the first matter, and with that now completed the process of seeking her disbarment had started.
In relation to Jackman and Lynch who were recently found guilty of similar theft offences, Smith-Millar gave the assurance that the Bar Association would also be taking similar action.
“We intend to treat everybody the same. We are not picking bad guys and letting off good guys. We are happy, though, that the wheels of justice are turning and that something is being done,” she said.
Last month, Jackman was found guilty of stealing $678 414.75 from HEJ Limited between June 23, 2006 and March 5, 2007 and of laundering the money between June 23, 2006 and October 18, 2011.
Lynch was also found guilty of stealing $50 000 belonging to the estate of Arthur O’Neal Thomas between August 18, 2005 and December 21, 2008, as well as stealing $407 634, the proceeds of a FirstCaribbean International Bank cheque made payable to Leroy Lynch and belonging to Thomas’ estate, between June 22, 2007 and December 21, 2008.
Lynch was also found guilty of money laundering in the disposal of $457 634, being the proceeds of crime, also between June 22, 2007 and December 21, 2008.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb
