Two particular descriptions have been applied to the newly-appointed Attorney General in Anguilla, Grenadian Mr. Dwight Horsford. One is that “he was head and shoulders over all the other candidates” and the other is that “he is the man for the job”.
Both expressions were made by the Governor, Mr. Tim Foy, OBE, and the Deputy Governor, Mr. Perin Bradley, the latter being largely responsible for his recruitment. The remarks were made at a welcome reception at Government House on Tuesday, October 9, hosted by the Governor and his wife, Dr. Dina Foy, and attended mainly by Government officials and members of the legal fraternity.
Governor Foy said it was a real privilege and a pleasure for him to have been involved in Mr. Horsford becomin g the latest Attorney General of what he thought was “the finest jurisdiction in the Eastern Caribbean.” He went on: “We have a man here who not only knows the law, but loves the law which is really important; a man who is not just steeped in jurisprudence, but a man who really understands the role of an Attorney General in terms of helping Government to do its work; the importance of that link between the machinery of Government and the way in which the Executive and the Legislature work.
“We are extremely fortunate. We are also extremely fortunate in having two more things: firstly, someone from the region which I think is extremely important, and I am delighted that we have done that. Not only did we look in the region, but of all the candidates we sought from world-wide, this candidate stood head and shoulders over everybody else…We have also got, above all, somebody who I think wants to be with us and serve us as a public servant; and for me that’s the single most important thing – somebody who has public service in their absolute core.”
Governor Foy ad
ded: “I want you to raise your glasses and to wish the new Attorney General well on his journey. It won’t be a journey of self-discovery…but we wish him well. We are confident that Anguilla is in safe hands with Dwight Horsford, our Attorney General.”
Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks, said the reception was a wonderful occasion for the Attorney General to meet with many of his colleagues with whom he would be working in the private sector, as well as those he already met in the public sector. “We have already welcomed him so many times but, on this occasion, it is important that we introduce him to those persons in the private sector with whom he has to interact and engage. I have met many of his colleagues in Grenada, where I happened to be before he took up his appointment, and he has been well recommended and we have some common friends. That does not mean that there will not be a separation of the responsibilities as far as Government is concerned. He is judiciary; we are executive and he crosses both. He is also in the Legislative Assembly but his main function is to work with the judiciary. I am happy that he has come and has settled down. We have had some good engagements and conversations about his role. He is happy with the staff that he has to work with; and I said to him that one of the most important aspects about the job he does is that, because lawyers are who they are, he has to work with them and that their personal relations with his job will be very important. He has assured me that he is up to the task. Welcome to Dwight Horsford, as our new AG.”
Deputy Governor, Mr. Perin Bradley, said: “I think for me, it all started when the Governor said: ‘it is your responsibility …so find us somebody good. You are the head of the public service, sort it out.’ Those were the exact words. I think we are very lucky that we ran a very open, broad and transparent process and I think at every step of the way Dwight ticked all the boxes. He was from the region; he had experience in the parliamentary process; he worked in the AG’s Chambers as Solicitor General – and the list goes on and on. Compared to all the other candidates, he did stand head and shoulders above the rest. From the time we were done with the process everybody was quite comfortable that we had made the right and proper choice. Dwight, a lot is expected of you. I think you are the man for the job and we are looking forward to working with you because there is a lot to be done…You have already jumped in the deep end with some quite substantive matters and that is the pace you will have to maintain. Congratulations, and again we are looking forward to working with you.”
Minister of Home Affairs, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, who joined in welcoming and congratulating Mr. Horsford, commented: the “
AG’s purpose in Anguilla is to assist the Government and the Governor and to help us move forward. We have a lot of legislation – certainly from my Ministry – that we need to push forward. We have the Elections Act, the Labour Code, and I have to say, at this point, that we are presenting the draft revised Labour Code to Executive Council this Thursday – and will then be sending it out to the general public for review, comments, etc before we take it to the House. A lot of work still has to be done over the next weeks and months for us to get in a position where we want to be in the Ministry of Labour, Constitutional Reform etc. And so I look forward to working with the AG and his staff.”
Parliamentary Secretary, Mr. Cardigan Connor, said briefly: “Welcome to Anguilla and as part of our team. We look forward to taking Anguilla to the heights that we know it deserves, and collectively we will make that happen.”
Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Pam Webster, stated: “I have already said welcome so much, and I am incredibly impressed by the sterling qualifications and the experience [of Mr. Horsford]. I think Anguilla is at a stage where it is really important that we uphold the rule of law and I know that democracy is an important concept.” She was certain that it was a concept that the Attorney General embraces – and in making a difference in the entire region in terms of principles of democracy and making sure we are progressing.
She added: “I feel we are in a good place as well and I am very happy to welcome you again. I know that Anguilla and Anguillians have high expectations, and I am absolutely certain you will deliver.”
Responding, Mr. Horsford, who tookthe oaths of office on 1st October, said the welcome reception was the second largest gathering for him in two weeks and that he had been very warmly welcomed in Anguilla. “It is much more than I had expected and officials, and lay people as well, have been very, very warm – and I couldn’t ask for anything more.
“I look forward to working with what I think is a good ensemble of people in the AG’s Chambers. At first it was a little bit icy because I was a stranger to them, but we Caribbean people know how to get along in ten seconds. I look forward to interacting with each of you here tonight. Thank you very much for your kind words of welcome.”
Mr. Horsford, who previously served as Solicitor General in Grenada, has succeeded Mr. John McKendrick QC, a UK national, who recently left Anguilla after serving as Attorney General for two years.
