Deputy Registrar wins case against AG

High Court Judge, Justice Brassington Reynolds, ruled that the appointment of Zanna Frank as the Deputy Deeds Registrar is lawful and constitutional – a ruling which flies in the face of the Attorney General Basil Williams who prevented her from performing her duties.

Justice Reynolds handed down his decision in the legal challenge which was filed

Deputy Deeds Registrar Zanna Frank
Deputy Deeds Registrar Zanna Frank

by Frank against the Attorney General and the Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority.

He ordered that the Deeds and Commercial Authority permit Frank to discharge the functions of her office and to pay her all the salaries which were unlawfully withheld.

Frank, an Attorney-at-Law, was appointed early last year as Deputy Registrar by

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams
Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams

the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), exercising powers conferred upon it via Article 119 of the Constitution.

But this appointment did not sit well with the Attorney General, who claimed that Frank did not meet the criteria for the position and was being used as a pawn.

Williams appointed someone else as acting Deputy Registrar.

Williams indicated that “For the JSC’s appointment, they require three years’ experience in your private practice as a lawyer, or in any one of the registries. Ms Frank has none. She’s not a lawyer of three years, she is not even a lawyer of two years, but what I’m saying is that I’m sorry for her because she’s being used as a pawn.”

According to reports, when the Registrar of Deeds proceeded on annual leave at the end of July, the Attorney General appointed someone else to act as Registrar.

Allegations are that the Registry employees were instructed that this person must perform the functions of the Registrar of Deeds in her absence and not the appointee of the JSC.

Reports were also that Frank was eventually prevented from preforming the functions of her office and her salary was withheld.

At wits end, Frank moved to the High Court to seek justice.