the recent award of the Employment Relations Tribunal concerning the implementation of the 24/7 specialised…
(No. A/40) Dr. S. Prayag (First Member for Piton & Rivière du Rempart) asked the Attorney General whether, in regard to the recent award of the Employment Relations Tribunal concerning the implementation of the 24/7 specialised services for Specialists/Senior Specialists in the fields of Gynaecology, Anaesthesia and Paediatrics, he will state – (a) whether legal advice has been tendered to the Ministry of Health and Wellness in respect of compliance therewith, and (b) the legal measures being envisaged to ensure fair, lawful and sustainable working conditions for the Specialists/Senior Specialists concerned, whilst safeguarding patient care and public health services.
Reply: Lawyer-client privilege protects confidential communications between a lawyer and his client that relate to the seeking of legal advice or services. This protection extends to any information exchanged during these privileged communications encompassing written correspondence and other forms of communication. The privilege belongs to the client, meaning that they have the authority to waive or invoke it. In this PQ, I, as the principal legal adviser to the Government, have been asked to disclose whether the client (Ministry of Health) has sought legal advice from my office, and what is the tenor of that advice. As I have stated earlier, the authority to waive this privilege lies with the client (Ministry of Health), and I cannot disclose any confidential information relating to any request for advice or advice itself.