Lawyers in Grenada are preparing for another battle with the Keith Mitchell-led government if it moves against Grenadian-born barrister-at law, Christopher Nelson who has been serving for the past five years as the island's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Legal sources told GRENADA TODAY that the battle to keep Nelson in the job will be spearheaded by the Grenada Bar Association whose President is Ruggles Ferguson of Ciboney Chambers. "Nelson ain't going any way", said a practicing lawyer who is involved in GBA affairs. He declined to go into specific details about the actions being contemplated by the bar association in the event of a move by government to sack Nelson.

A source who asked not to be named indicated that a few key lawyers in the country met privately to discuss reports circulating on the island that the administration is thinking of replacing Nelson for political reasons. During his contribution to the 2006 budget debate, Prime Minister Mitchell labelled Nelson as a "friend" of Opposition Leader Tillman Thomas who is also a barrister-at-law by profession. Speculation is rife that Mitchell's ruling New National Party (NNP) government is angry with Nelson for advising the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) to press criminal charges against a member of the Prime Minister's Personal Security Unit.

The DPP office is known to have advised the Commissioner of Police to bring charges against Corporal Frederick "Balla" Noel for shooting a civilian over a lover's quarrel. Less than two weeks after Balla was charged, he instructed local attorney, Venescia Francis-Banfield to write the DPP threatening "to take personal legal action against" Nelson if he failed to comply with certain requests. The Balla letter questioned the authority of the DPP to advise the police to charge him with "Grevious Harm", and for him to furnish a copy of his letter of appointment to the high judicial legal office.

Prior to giving instructions to Francis-Banfield, the PM's bodyguard had failed in his attempt to get another barrister-at-law, Derek Sylvester to write the threatening letter to the DPP. Balla is said to have informed Sylvester that the plan to raise question's about the status of the DPP's appointment came from Legal Advisor to Cabinet, Jamaican Hugh Wildman, himself a former holder of the post of Acting DPP.

According to NNP insiders, the Mitchell government was thinking since 2004 of removing Nelson from the post. The last time local barristers clashed with the Mitchell government was over a plan by the regime to install the controversial Wildman as the island's Attorney-General. The appointment was rejected by the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC) and Wildman has since taken the matter to court for judicial review.