Government got it wrong in appointing a political Attorney General on a salary bigger than the Premier's, Shadow Legislative Affairs Minister John Barritt said yesterday.

And he said the cash spent on getting three people to do the jobs which used to be done by two could have been better spent elsewhere in the Island's creaking legal system.

He also criticised the likely salary of around the $100,000 mark for the new Director of Public Prosecutions position, which has to be created to handle criminal work if the Attorney General is a politician.

"In my view, that's a step backward -- the post requires an experienced, strong, independent-minded person with experience in criminal law,'' he said.

"There is a need to look at increasing the salaries of counsel so we can attract top Bermudians -- lure them away from private practice.'' But he predicted the likely salary for the DPP would not be enough to attract top candidates.

Mr. Barritt said; "Unless, of course, that's the plan -- Government doesn't want a strong, independent candidate who will stand up to them.

"If that's the case, it's definitely a step backward and the administration of justice will be the poorer for it.'' And he added: "This is minimising the importance of the DPP and I hope the Governor will not capitulate and ensure that in both salary and appointment, we end up with a strong and independent counsel as DPP.'' Mr. Barritt was speaking only days after PLP veteran Lois Browne Evans was officially appointed as the Island's first political AG.

Her MPs salary of around $63,000 will be topped up to give her the $125,000 or so commanded by non-political AG's.

But Mr. Barritt said that there was "a dire need'' for Parliamentary draughtsmen in the AG's Chambers, as well as for a modern method of court reporting.

He added: "The money is now being spent at the top end of the structure and anyone who has any contact with the administration of justice knows that the greatest need lies elsewhere.'' Mr. Barritt said: "We now have a Cabinet Minister who is being paid more than the Premier and indeed her Cabinet colleagues.'' But he questioned whether the new Attorney General would work longer or harder than the Premier, who earns around $90,000 in total.

And he asked if the AG's appointment was "the thin end of the wedge of bigger and fatter salaries all round''.

Mr. Barritt claimed that neither the new political AG nor the DPP was mentioned in the Throne Speech or in the Budget debate -- although he said the salary of the previous Civil Service Attorney General was listed in the financial estimates.

He said: "It's hardly the transparency and accountability we were promised and which is supposed to be the hallmark of this administration.'' Mr. Barritt accepted that Mrs. Browne Evans had given up her own practice to take the new job.

But he said: "My information was that, as of the start of this year, Mrs.

Browne Evans didn't even have a practising certificate and only recently acquired one.''