Virgin Islands Bar Association President Joycelyn Hewlett tapped St. Thomas attorney Tom Bolt to Co-Chair the Bar’s Committee on Legislation and Law Reform. Bolt Chaired the Committee from 1987-1993. He is the former Counsel to the Virgin Islands Legislature and will Co-Chair the Committee with former Virgin Islands Senator and Attorney General, Iver A Stridiron.
In appointed Bolt to the new post, Hewlett noted that Stridiron would be off-island for the next few months and that the bulk of the work of the Committee would fall to Bolt. The charge of the Bar’s Legislation and Law Reform Committee is to monitor pending legislation that will impact the administration of justice; to recommend and support legislation that would further the Bar’s mission; and to notify the Bar and seek input from the Bar on such legislation.
Other appointments to the Bar’s Legislation and Law Reform Committee include: St. Croix attorneys R. Oliver David, Lee Rohn and Martial Webster. Yvonne Tharpes, Acting Counsel to the Legislature also serves as a member as does St. Thomas attorney Mark Hodge.
Hewlett noted in her appointment that a Senator in the 26th Legislature had requested that the Bar Association assist in drafting legislation that would provide for a merit selection of judges. The Bar President supports using legislation that is similar to that in the District of Columbia and advocates that the Committee utlize it as a starting point.
Other matters on the Commitee’s agenda include amendments to the Rules of the VI Superior Court to provide a limitation on the special admission of attorneys and to assist in the drafting of the rules for the implementation on mandatory continuing legal education for attorneys in the Virgin Islands.
Bolt said, that he hoped to gather information in the next week and call a meeting of the Committee to address the President and the VI Bar Board of Governor’s concerns.
During the quarterly meeting of the Virgin Islands Bar Association other legislative matters were raised including the Uniform Probate Court and legislation proposed by Senator Liston Davis to establish a magistrate’s court in the VI Superior Court.