Law Library left to rot
By Christine Larbey

A couple of weeks ago a special sitting for the late Parry Husbands QC was held at the Castries High Court. Mr Husbands a former Attorney General was responsible for drafting a host of laws that still exist today.
During the many tributes from members of the legal fraternity it became known that Mr Husbands prided himself on his personal law library. Over the years the QC had collected in excess of 7,000 law books.
While the former lawyer had taken pleasure and delight in obtaining such a compilation the High Court’s own library has fallen into decay.
The library itself closed years ago. The priceless irreplaceable law books, some dating back to the 1800’s have been left to rot. They are now infested with mites and other unimaginable bugs and mould. But how can this happen? How can a precious law library be allowed to perish and decompose? Who is responsible for the festering and corrosion of the High Courts law library?
The Law Library Act came into force in March 1985 and was revised in December 2001. The act covered the establishment of the library and was to be called the Saint Lucia Law Library. A committee was to be set up and the general management and control of the library “shall be vested in and exercised by a committee comprising?

(a) the resident puisne judge of Saint Lucia;
(b) the Attorney General or his or her nominee;
(c) the Registrar of the High Court; and
(d) two members of the Saint Lucia Bar Association to be appointed by the Governor General for a period of 2 years.
The committee was also mandated to meet at least twice in each year, and at such other times as they may think fit.
This Committee also had the authority to make rules for the general management, upkeep and control of the library and for the purchase, preservation and loan of the books and periodicals. However for some reason the rules of the library could not come into force unless approved by Cabinet of the day and published in the Gazette.
There was to be a librarian who had the responsibility to among other things:
keep in the Library a list of the names and addresses of members, a proper index and inventory of all books, papers, periodicals and articles of furniture in the Library and of any additions made, a list of all books, papers and periodicals which the Committee may declare to be books, papers and periodicals of reference
And so it goes on. But all to no avail. The library sits and rots away, with no one paying any heed.