President Anthony Carmona stands firm…he will not withdraw the sabbatical leave he approved for the Chief Justice.

President Carmona has responded to the Prime Minister’s query over his decision to approve the leave for Chief Justice Ivor Archie.

In the March 12^th letter, President Carmona says he was satisfied that the Chief Justice was exercising his administrative prerogative as head of the judiciary when he decided to take leave.

He also tells the Prime Minister, Justice Archie was acting in accordance with the legitimate expectation for sabbatical leave created by two realities.

Those realities are the Salaries Review Commission’s Agreement in principle with the idea of sabbatical leave and the statement by then Government Minister Roodal Moonilal in the parliament, which said cabinet, had approved the recommendations of the SRC’s 98^th report.

The Prime Minister has been briefed by senior counsel and will publically speak on the issue tomorrow.