New SC: Lawyers who steal clients’ money should be punished

Attorneys who use clients’ funds as their own should feel the “full weight of the law”, says Senior Counsel Arthur Holder.

Reminding those within the legal profession of the importance of integrity, he asserted in an interview with Barbados TODAY on Friday: “The money of clients does not belong to the attorney. You do not mess with clients’ funds, and I believe that if you do not stick to that oath and you take clients’ money, you should be treated and done like as you would do a normal person, that you should feel the full weight of the law if you steal clients’ money. It is as simple as that.”

He was speaking after being officially being admitted to the Inner Bar on Friday morning at the Supreme Court Complex.

Holder, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, missed last month’s official ceremony due to being overseas on official business.

“It is about hard work and integrity…. It is not about longevity,” the Senior Counsel said, advising younger attorneys that there were no shortcuts to elevation.

Giving thanks to God and his family for their support during his 23 years in the law profession, Arthur said he was humbled by the honour.

He said his success would not have been possible without the help of several legal luminaries, including Keith Simmons SC and Justice William Chandler who provided guidance when he was first called to the Bar.

“Without them, I would not be here, and they remained with me when I had difficult cases as I continued to consult them, so they have really guided me and I am so grateful,” Holder said.

He also made special mention of former Chief Justice Sir David Simmons, Justice Randall Worrell and Senior Counsel Andrew Pilgrim.

Eleven other attorneys were admitted to the Inner Bar in September, including Wilfred Abrahams, Tammy Bryan, Gillian Henderson Clarke, Rudolph Cappy Greenidge, Kathy-Ann Hamblin,  Edmund Hinkson, Anika Jackson, Stephen Lashley, Angela Mitchell-Gittens, Alliston Seale and Liesel Weekes.

The 12 were the first to be given the designation, after Cabinet decided that the Queen’s Counsel and King’s Counsel titles would be discontinued.
(JB)