Newly appointed president of the Law Association of T&T, Reginald Amour SC, says he intends to strengthen the role the association plays in the country's affairs.
“My primary interest in running for the office has been two pillars. One is to focus on the membership and inspiring the membership, getting the proficiency level of the membership up, continuing legal education and other benefits. “At the end of 2014 the financial membership stood at 1,591 members. I want to see an increase in the quality of the association.
“The second pillar is to focus the council on observing one of the mandates as it relates to the public on matters of the law," he told the T&T Guardian yesterday at the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain, after the association’s annual general meeting.
Amour, who will serve one year, paid tribute to Seenath Jairam SC, whom he replaced and called his friend. Jairam sought re-election for another year but lost to Amour by a vote of 323-106.
“We have had a very healthy election process and a very healthy vibrant turnout of the membership who voted for a different leadership, who is going to infuse new energies into the association,” Amour said, noting there was a membership of over 15,000 members. He said the association was now as relevant as ever.
“I think it is a national institution which the society looks to for leadership in matters relating to the law and it looks to set the bar for standards of conduct. That is very important.
“The higher we set our bar and more consistently we observe our own standard at a high level, the greater the role and impact the association will have in the society,” he said. Vice-president Gerry Brooks, who was returned unopposed, told the T&T Guardian that he wanted to continue the work of the last administration. Brooks described his role as one where he stood in if the president was not able to chair or attend meetings and provided support on initiatives.