VI taxpayers may be footing Governor’s legal fees- Premier
Hon Fahie reminded that the legal fee for representation is not about the individual, but rather the office they represent.
At the start of today’s 12th Sitting of the 3rd Session of the 4th House of Assembly, in Duff’s Bottom, Tortola, Premier Fahie said he has been informed that a section of the Virgin Islands Constitution will most likely be used to pay for the legal representation of the Governor, if he is cross-questioned by the CoI, as well as for legal representation for the CoI lawyers in the case that was filed by the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
"It is important for everyone to know that the Governor has exercised his democratic right to have legal representation during the time he will be cross-examined in the CoI, which is the same CoI that the Governor's Office called, and it is projected that the BVI taxpayers will be paying this expense as well because I have been informed that Section 103 of the constitution will likely be used for those two expenses that I have named.
This comes as a small group of persons led by talk show host Rosemary Cindy Rosan-Jones had marched upon the Virgin Islands House of Assembly (HoA) HoA for the speaker to pay his own legal fees. This is even as the Speaker has indicated that the case was brought by him in his official capacity.
House Speaker Hon Julian Willock, along with his Deputy Hon Neville A. Smith (AL), through the law firm Silk Legal, had filed an injunction against Bilal M. Rawat, Andrew King, and Rhea Harrikissoon, who are currently assisting with the work of the CoI.
Speaker acting in official capacity - Premier
“The only one that is being ordered to pay legal fees in his private capacity while taking action in his official capacity would have been the speaker,” Hon Fahie said.
The Speaker and Deputy had accused the three lawyers of practising law in the territory and doing so while not being called to the Virgin Islands Bar, in violation of the Legal Profession Act 2015.
Hon Willock, however, was forced to withdraw his application after it was found that Attorney General Dawn J. Smith did not grant consent for him to move forward with an injunction that had already been filed in the court.
Justice Adrian Jack, who took over the case from another judge, had then ruled that the Speaker needed to pay the court fees incurred out of his own pocket.
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25 Responses to “VI taxpayers may be footing Governor’s legal fees- Premier”
This has only happened because Fahie got lawyers in. Reckon the cost of defending this government is more than the cost of the COI which the uk tax payer is paying for!
Why don’t we see how much has been spent on legal fees by the government?
Pay the man bill premier end of story he was acting on the behalf of the people
governmwnt paying wilock legal fees plays right into the hands of the COI as it represents the very thing that they are here to prove...that the government looks after their own and only their own..this government....last government....VIP should show that they are differnet...that speaker must pay his own self inflicted bills. also..surley the speaker mutst be excused from any reading of this in the HOA.