A female Crown counsel in the Attorney General's chambers has been suspended after being charged with assaulting another woman.

Maryellen Goodwin is alleged to have attacked Claire Lee-Osborne at Lee-Osborne's home last December 5.

However, Goodwin claims that the other woman was the aggressor in the incident and Lee-Osborne, a private-sector finance worker, is also charged with assault.

Both defendants are aged 43 and live in Smith's. They entered not guilty pleas when they appeared at Magistrates' Court yesterday, and no details of the allegations were given in court.

Although the charges relate to the same incident, prosecutor Cindy Clarke told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner that the two women should go on trial separately. Goodwin represented herself while Lee-Osborne was represented by lawyer Mark Pettingill.

Mr. Warner listed both hearings for May 18 and released each defendant on $1,000 bail.

Goodwin joined the Attorney General's chambers in 2007 having previously worked as a Department of Environmental Protection compliance officer and a reporter at The Royal Gazette.

Attorney General Kim Wilson declined to comment on the matter.