The Legal Officers' Staff Association (LOSA) which represents the interests and welfare of all attorneys-at-law employed in the Government service has been relaunched.

Tasha Manley, a Crown counsel, in the Attorney General's Department was elected this month as the new president.

LOSA was formed in the early 1990s and is responsible for negotiating a number of significant improvements in the working conditions, remunerations and benefits to legal officers.

The activism of the association led to a lawsuit against the Government in 1992 which was taken all the way to the Privy Council.

The main issue was whether legal officers were entitled to claim salary for days on which they were absent from work in protest against the progress of salary negotiations. The Privy Council agreed with the Full Court and Court of Appeal that the withholding of part of salary by the Government where no work is done is in accordance with the common law 'no work, no pay' principle.

Membership challenges

Manley told The Gleaner that despite several achievements, the work of the association was stymied because of challenges in sustaining its membership base, among other things.

She said that in response to the growing concerns of a number of legal officers regarding the lack of structured representation for the group, the association was re-launched.

A number of distinguished attorneys at the public Bar, one of whom has ascended to the Jamaican Judiciary, have headed the association in the capacity of president.

Manley said the immediate focus of the present executive will be to strengthen the membership base of the association by developing on the vision of the founding members.

"We hope to collaborate with other professional groups in areas of mutual interest and commonality".

LOSA executives

Tasha Manley, president

Melissa Simms, vice-president (Crown counsel in the Office of the DPP)

Thalia Francis, chairperson salaries and benefits committee (Crown counsel in the Attorney General's Department)

Maurice Bailey, chairperson of the publications committee (assistant director, in the Department of Legal Reform)

Khadrea Ffolkes, chairperson social and entertainment committee (legal officer in the Ministry of Labour)

Trudy-Ann Dixon-Frith, secretary (Crown counsel in the Attorney General's Department)

LOSA's objectives include:

To promote and protect the interests and welfare of the members of the association in respect of:

(a) salaries and attached benefits

(b) other terms and conditions of employment

(c) continuing legal education

To promote social and professional interaction among the members of the asso-ciation and between the association and other persons or associations of the legal profession.

To promote interaction between the association and other professional groups in matters of mutual interest.