JUSTICE Minister and Attorney General Senator Dorothy Lightbourne has dismissed as 'erroneous' media reports that the recent resignations of several lawyers from her offices were as a result of clashes between herself and staff members.

"I don't know anything about resignations, speak to the Solicitor General. I don't know anything about tension, I wish the media would stop with these wild allegations and go to source," Senator Lightbourne told the Observer yesterday after news broke that Director of State Proceedings, Nicole Foster-Pusey, had been the latest to tender her resignation.

"Persons who resigned spoke with him (Solicitor General) and gave their reasons for leaving. I'm seeing names I don't even know. I've never met the people," Senator Lightbourne said.

In the meantime, Solicitor General Douglas Leys, who himself took office in May, confirmed that Foster-Pusey had on Monday tendered her resignation which takes effect in September.

He, however, would not say how many persons had resigned since Lightbourne became attorney general and expressed a difficulty in understanding why she was being held liable for the spate resignations.

"The Attorney General has nothing to do with it, why are they calling her? She is the political head!" Leys argued.
He also dismissed reports that the tension at the department was because persons were having a difficulty with Lightbourne's management style.

"Let me put an end to that; I took office in May and I had a meeting with the attorney general and we have agreed for a formula going forward which means the office would operate in much the same way it did when Dr Ken Rattray was Solicitor General. [This means] the attorney general would be responsible for policy and advising government and the technical legal office would advise her on the technical legal implications of whatever policy the government is pursuing.
That's the formula we had, that's the formula I intend to abide by and that's the formula which the attorney general has agreed to," the solicitor general said.

According to Leys, the lawyers themselves had no difficulty with the arrangement.

"I have met with each and every lawyer individually and I have told them what the attorney general and myself have agreed and they have agreed that it is indeed the way they would like to see the affairs of the office conducted. We have also had general staff meetings where we have raised that and there is not one dissenting voice," he continued.

The solicitor general further said that persons had given various reasons for wanting to leave the department and contended that not one individual had cited a difficulty with Lightbourne as the reason for their resignations.

He admitted that their will be "some temporary dislocation" as a result of the resignations, which may lead to the reassignment of "people to take up tasks of those who have left".

He also disclosed that the department was on a recruitment drive for new personnel.
"I have dozens of applications from people who want to come into the Attorney General's Office and pursue a career here and we are about to embark on a recruitment exercise. I have applications before me of a blend of recruits coming out of law school and experienced people and we are pursuing them at all levels," he said.