New political Attorney General Lois Browne Evans will be paid a total of $125,000 a year for acting as Government's legal adviser in the House of Assembly.

Mrs. Browne Evans will retain her Minister's salary of around $32,000 with an add-on to take her up to what previous non-politcal AG's earned.

And the new post of Director of Public Prosecutions is likely to command a salary of nearly $100,000 -- the same rate as a senior Crown counsel.

Mrs. Browne Evans -- who has had to close her legal practice to take up the new post -- was formally appointed to her new job by Governor Thorold Masefield at Government House on Thursday.

Mr. Masefield said: "It's an occasion for me to hand over formally the instrument of appointment and to congratulate her on her appointment as Bermuda's first Attorney General to come out of either House of Parliament.'' Mrs Browne Evans said: "I want to say how humbled I am about this appointment.

"Despite all the excitement it's engendered, I'm happy I've been appointed.'' She added: "I don't aspire to be a judge or a prosecutor -- I just want to defend people, represent them legally, politically, any other way which is possible.'' Premier Jennifer Smith said: "This is indeed a significant day -- what has played most on our minds has been the wonderful support of the Bermudian public in response to the announcement of Mrs. Browne Evans' appointment.'' And she said: "The Attorney General, by virtue of the nature of her responsibilities, will have to be full-time and in addition will not be able to hold another job or run her practice.

"Mrs. Browne Evans has closed her practice in order to take this job.'' She added details had yet to be worked out, but Cabinet had agreed Mrs. Browne Evans would be paid the current going rate for the AG's job.

Mrs. Browne Evans said: "I will get a Member of Parliament's salary -- on top of the Member's salary, I'll get whatever the officer gets.'' Mrs. Browne Evans has already targeted speeding up the flow of legislation to the House of Assembly as a priority.

But she added: "I would love to be around when Independence comes and I think I could help in the transition.'' The UBP failed in a last-minute court challenge on Wednesday to have Mrs.

Browne Evans ruled out for AG on age grounds.

The Constitution states that AG's must retire at 65, or 70 under special circumstances.

But an earlier section makes it clear that the ruling does not apply if the AG is not a Civil Servant and comes from Parliament instead.

Government House is currently drawing up a job description for the DPP's job -- in the meantime, Solicitor General William Pearce, who has been Acting Attorney General, will hold the post.