Dear Ashley You, Ashley, last night, Monday, appeared on TV asserting your determination to continue as President of the Grenada Bar Association (“the Bar”). This necessitates my elaborating on my letter of the 17th . Averil Trotman-Joseph, Anande, saw her undoubted competence, unquestionable character and impressive experience including a rather unsuccessful stint as President of the Guyana Bar Association, trumped by her spousal connection. Her husband was the Speaker. This is “the Anande principle” , that the Presidency of the Bar must not be commingled with offices of the State. In your case, your spousal connection logs directly into the Cabinet . Not only that, you, at the Bar election, were armed with, and actually utilised for yourself , proxy votes from several Cabinet Ministers who are Lawyers. So your connection to the Cabinet is both spousal and electoral. As you said in your address to the special sitting of the Supreme Court this morning, Bar Associations should help protect judicial independence . The model for the Bar must be the independence of the Judiciary, including independence from the Cabinet . This model must be undermined when the President of the Bar is linked to the Cabinet room directly , both spousally and electorally . The Bar must be one of the leading watchdogs for democracy , especially in our society . That was precisely one of the strengths of the glorious Ruggles Ferguson reign. There could have been no whisper that Ruggles had a foot in the Cabinet. In this regard, Ruggles was like Caeser’s wife, above suspicion . But how can John Public have a sense of confidence approaching the Bar on a matter involving the Government when the President of the Bar is linked to the Cabinet the way you are, Ashley ? After all, justice must not only be done, but must manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done . The Bar must not appear to be an appendage to the Cabinet. It was so for Anande; it must be so for Ashley . Principle is principle. Nothing personal. You should therefore reconsider, and do the right thing . All the best . Yours sincerely ………………………… Francis Alexis