Cabinet Secretary Responds to Opposition Leader’s Concerns Over High Court Appointments

Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie has responded to the Leader of the Opposition. Yesterday, after the LOO received a letter from the CabSec informing him of recent appointments to the high court, Barrow stated that Leslie was not authorized to write. Barrow said he felt disrespected by having been written by Leslie and called on the government to address his concern. However, Leslie says the LOO should ensure that his information is accurate before making such statements. 

Stuart Leslie, Cabinet Secretary: “If you want to take on a responsibility to be the government then you have to know how the government works okay ? It is always been the case that it is the Cabinet Secretary or somebody in the Office of the Prime Minister that writes or signs a letter on behalf of the Prime Minister. It goes back from Independence. I can go back in the file in fact I can send you letters that were sent to John Briceno when he was Leader of Opposition it was signed not even by the Cabinet Secretary but by administrative officer in the Office of the Prime Minister Barrow. And so this is something if you know how governments work you understand. Ministers and Prime Ministers don’t always sign every document but you’re signing on behalf of that person so I would have advised the Leader of the Opposition check with one of the more senior people in his party who have served in government that they could have told him that this is a procedure it is no insult it is nothing like that.”