Trinidad and Tobago Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is refusing to back down following a legal threat from Attorney General Camille Robinson-Regis, firmly declaring she will not apologize for comments made at a political meeting last month.
In response to a Pre-Action Protocol Letter from Robinson-Regis’s attorney demanding damages for defamation and a formal apology, Persad-Bissessar’s legal team issued a strongly worded rebuttal, maintaining that their client’s statements were both justified and in the public interest.
The dispute stems from remarks made by Persad-Bissessar at a United National Congress (UNC) cottage meeting on March 17, where she raised questions about an ongoing police investigation into Robinson-Regis and highlighted that she was not in possession of a current practising certificate from the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago. Persad-Bissessar then questioned whether, under such circumstances, the public could have confidence in Robinson-Regis’s appointment as Attorney General.
Robinson-Regis also formally requested $4 million in compensation from Persad-Bissessar.
But Persad-Bissessar’s attorneys cited comments by former Police Commissioner Gary Griffith in 2021 confirming that the investigation into Robinson-Regis was ongoing and argued that, to date, there has been no official public statement confirming the matter’s conclusion. They challenged Robinson-Regis’s claim that she is no longer under investigation, noting that no documentation or announcement has been presented to verify it.
The former Trinidad Prime Minister’s legal team dismissed any suggestion of defamation, asserting that the comments were “fair comment on matters of public interest” and entirely appropriate, especially considering the seriousness of appointing someone potentially under police investigation to the post of Attorney General.
Further, Persad-Bissessar’s attorneys raised questions about whether the legal threat was being made in Robinson-Regis’s personal or official capacity. “The use of the Office of Attorney General to prosecute private defamation claims by the holder of that office would be a misuse of that office and have a chilling effect on democratic debate,” the letter warned.
The response also pointed to the timing of the letter, which was sent on March 28—just ten days after general elections were announced and less than a month before polling day. The attorneys argued the timing appeared politically motivated, saying the claims are “entirely devoid of merit and an abuse of the Court’s Pre-Action Protocols for naked political purposes.”
In a firm conclusion, the letter stated: “Our client shall not apologise for any of the statements you have complained about.”
Persad-Bissessar reaffirmed her commitment to raising issues of public concern, stating through her legal team that she “will not be daunted by any threats of legal action” and intends to continue questioning matters of national interest as part of her duty as Leader of the Opposition.
