A team of eight lawyers has collaborated to establish a NGO known as the Committee of Concerned Lawyers (CCL). The founding members of the new law organization are John Elue Charles, Cara Shillingford, Wayne Marsh, Joshua Francis, Singoalla Bloqvist-Williams, Bernard Wiltshire, Clement Joseph, and Joel Paris.
The founding members of eight made it clear that CCL is not an organization that is religious, political, or affiliated with the Dominica Bar Association (DBA) and the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) in any way. Member John Charles said CCL is not sponsored by any individuals or groups within and outside the country and affiliated with anyone in any manner. It is purely a committee of lawyers who are concerned about the development of Dominica as a country and citizens as legal entities.
According to Cara Shillingford, the NGO plans to carry out a legal education event aimed at enlightening the public over their constitutional and personal human rights. “We will engage students and young persons in projects and competitions which are intellectually stimulating and which will contribute toward building a stronger and more civic-minded populace,” she said.
Shillingford noted that lawyers are aware of the social, economic, and political problems occuring in Dominica and that the group would be properly positioned to address them through the courts. She said that these efforts will ensure that the country heals properly and people live better lives as intended under a functional democracy.
With the established of CCL, Shillingford hopes that human and constitutional right violations will be minimized, and that everyone will be able to access the courts to seek relief and justice. She also expressed hopes that every Dominican citizen will be protected against discrimination and fundamental violations through prompt legal interventions.
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