Gordon questions minister's legal acumen

The future of Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne as an attorney-at-law came under sharp focus during yesterday's cross-examination by attorney for military personnel, Lieutenant Colonel Linton Gordon.

"Did you know that your action was in breach of the canon of the profession if you signed the extradition request when you knew that the constitutional rights of Christopher Coke were breached?" queried Gordon.

Lightbourne has consistently stated that Coke's constitutional rights were being breached by the use of wiretapping data to apprehend and extradite him.

However, she said she signed the extradition request in consideration for public interest under Section 13 of the Constitution.

Asked whether she had an option to resign instead of signing the request, or if she was bullied into signing by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, Lightbourne said she took full responsibility for the decision.

Hugh Small, the attorney representing the prime minister, raised concerns about what he described as "highly barbed political questions" being asked by the lawyers representing the military.

Gordon's clients include former Police Commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, former Chief of Defence Staff Major General Stewart Saunders, and Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Cole.

In response, Gordon said his clients were lumped with acting Director of Public Prosecutions Lisa Palmer Hamilton, Solicitor General Douglas Leys and Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jeremy Taylor in receiving portions of the blame for the ill-fated extradition exercise.

Gordon complained that one of his clients was referred to as a "busybody" and another as "untruthful".

"I can't segregate them easily," Gordon declared. "So if in my cross-examination the question and answers touched on Mr Small's client, it is not my intention."