TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1988
COUNSEL
WERB LEAVING AGC
THE WORKING GROUP FOUND THAT LOCAL BEFORE THEY WERE ELIGIBLE FOR PROMOTION TO THE DIRECTORATE.
FOR
THE PRINCIPAL BENEFICIARIES OF THE SPECIAL MEASURES ARGURD IN THE REPORT ARE THE LARGE NUMBER OF LOCAL CROWN COUNSEL WITH LR99 THAN THREE YEARS EXPERIENCE.
SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF FUNDS BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, IT 18 HOPED THAT THE "DOUBLE-LADDER" SCHEME WILL BE INTRODUCED BY THE END OF 1988.
UNDER THIS PROPOSAL, THERE WOULD BE TWO STREAMS OF PROMOTION WITHIN THE AGC FROM THE CC RANK TO THE SCC RANK.
THE EXISTING SYSTEM OF PROMOTION TO SCC ON THE BASIS AND EXPERIENCE WOULD CONTINUE.
OF MERIT
AT THE SAME TIME THERE WOULD BE A SYSTEM OF PROMOTION OF LOCAL OFFICERS WITH LIMITED QUALIFIED EXPERIENCE, BUT OTHERWISE SUITABLE THE BASIS OF ABILITIES AND POTENTIAL.
ON
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS SECOND-LADDER OF PROMOTION ARX THAT SPECIAL POSTS AT THE SCC LEVEL WOULD BE CREATED AND THAT LOCAL OFFICERS PROMOTED ON THIS LADDER WOULD RECEIVE THE PAY AND ENTITLEMENTS OF SCC WHILE CONTINUING TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF CO.
FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, INCLUDING HISTORICAL FACTORS, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THE FEW GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN WHICH THERE REMAINS A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF OVERSEAS OFFICERS.
THE WORKING GROUP FOUND THAT THE PRINCIPAL LOCALISATION PROBLEM CONFRONTING THE DEPARTMENT IS ITS FAILURE TO RETAIN LOCAL COUNSEL, OR TO ATTRACT COUNSEL FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR BECAUSE OF BETTER PAY AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO LAWYERS OF COMPARABLE EXPERIENCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
THE INTRODUCTION OF SUCH A SCHEME SHOULD HELP REDUCE WASTAGE AND MAY ALSO ATTRACT ADDITIONAL LOCAL LAWYERS OF QUALITY TO JOIN THE DEPARTMENT.
THE RETENTION OF MORE LOCAL CROWN COUNSEL IN THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD ENLARGE THE POOL OF QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED LOCAL COUNSEL READY FOR PROMOTION TO SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL AND THEREBY WORK TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE LOCALISATION TARGET FOR SCc.
THE WORKING GROUP CONCLUDED THAT WHILE THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO QUICKEN THE PACE OF LOCALISATION IN AGC,
OVERSEAS LAWYERS CONTINUE TO HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY.
WILL
/"THE WORKING