ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The president of the Antigua & Barbuda Bar Association (ABBA) has rejected the notion by former Prime Minister Lester Bird that Caribbean courts appear to be leaning towards political leaders. Speaking on OBSERVER media’s Big Issues programme on Sunday, Arthur Thomas decried the ex-PM’s belief and defended what he purports to be the integrity of local, as well as regional courts. In a no-holds-barred interview with OBSERVER media, the former PM, who’s also a lawyer, said, “I began to come to the view that I am not so sure that the courts have reached the level of professionalism and understanding to ignore the pressures put on them by governments, etcetera.