The issue flared up because, as the President of the Bar, she is legally required to sit as a member of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission. This is the body which oversees the appointment of judges and attorneys to important posts within the public service. Other members on the Commission include Solicitor General Nigel Hawke, the Chairman of the Public Services Commission, and Chief Justice Benjamin, who is the Chair.

We understand that last month she attended her first meeting as a member of the Commission, but before any official business could actually start, Chief Justice Benjamin asked her, on the record, to excuse herself from the meeting. It's consequential because by law, the Bar President is required to be a part of the Commission. We're told that explaining the reasons for his request, the Chief Justice pointed her to the fact that she is a public officer, and that the legislation precludes her from sitting on the Commission.