Members of the Bermuda Bar Association last week severely criticised MP Trevor Moniz for his campaign of criticism against the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), while he was president of the Association.

At its annual general meeting Thursday, the Association elected a new executive, replacing Mr. Moniz with David Kessaram.

Mr. Moniz's term as president had come to an end in any case and he could not be re-elected.

Robin Mayor was elected vice president, while Rod Attride-Stirling took the post of Honourary Secretary after voting at the Association's annual general meeting.

After the voting, members of the DPP's office proposed a motion, which was later withdrawn, demanding that Mr. Moniz make a public statement that his widely disseminated views on the DPP's office in recent months were his alone and not on behalf of the Association.

Most of the 100 or so members present at the lunchtime meeting agreed with the principle of the motion but some called for a thorough examination of Mr. Moniz's comments by the entire membership. After a "lively, but controlled and measured" 40 minute discussion, it was decided that a special meeting would be called to decide on the motion.

In the meantime the membership will be given the opportunity to study relevant newspaper articles and transcripts from other media.

"It was a healthy, democratic exercise that assisted in the transparency and credibility of the organisation," said one lawyer. "Most members are looking forward to having this thing disappear so we can move forward as an organisation."

Mr. Moniz stood by his comments but did not say that he had not been speaking on behalf of the Bar Association, according to another account of the meeting.

Instead he said that he wears several hats and sometimes the lines get blurred. Mr. Moniz had been making headlines with consistent criticism of the DPP's office. In February, he told broadcast media that "everyone knows we have a weak department of Prosecutions" and that the Police were not getting adequate cooperation from the Department.

That drew an angry written response from the then DPP Khamisi Tokunbo, who denied the allegations and accused Mr. Moniz of being politically motivated.Three of the DPP's staff brought up the matter at Thursday's Bar Association meeting. But they were quickly joined by at least half a dozen colleagues in private practice, one of whom described Mr. Moniz's attacks as "vitriolic".

Mr. Moniz has declined to return calls since stirring up the Sabrina Phillips controversy and would not comment when contacted.