Prime Minister Perry Christie is expected to name additional Queen's Counsel soon. But Bahamas Bar Association President Elsworth Johnson yesterday called for the suspension of new Queen's Counsel appointments until the nomination process is reformed. Johnson made his remarks at a special sitting of the Court of Appeal to mark the opening of the legal year.

"Much has been said about the appointment process," he said. "In particular and of note are the observations of Henry Bostwick, QC, who in December 2009 called on the government to 'seriously consider reforming the process by which QCs are selected to one which is fair and transparent'.

"In my address at the opening of this legal year, I reiterated the call for the reformation of the appointment process for Queen's Counsel with a view to eliminating what appears to be undue influence by way of secret soundings and improper government or political patronage and advocating that future appointments to the office of Queen's Counsel should be based on merit, gender neutral and recognize the distinguished contributions, accomplishments and intellectual abilities of our female members of the Bar."

He added, "I am of the firm opinion that all future appointments should be suspended unless and until the suggested reformation is realized."

The government announced the appointments of 11 Queen's Counsel this month, among them three members of the Cabinet, bring the number of QCs to 22.

Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson, Minister of State for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez, retired judge Neville Smith, Wayne Munroe, Anthony McKinney, Elliot Lockhart, Lester Mortimer, Maurice Glinton, former Attorney General Carl Bethel and former Progressive Liberal Party Attorney General Alfred Sears were all appointed.

Munroe, one of the appointees, said the process should be free from "political interference."

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