his post by the end of next week.

Mr. Mottley said he decided to leave his post for personal business reasons and would be returning to Barbados to go back into private practice.

He said that although he had agreed to remain Bermuda's Attorney General for several more months, there were "certain things put in place in Barbados'' that required his immediate attention and could not be delayed.

Mr. Mottley said he "enjoyed'' Bermuda, and hoped matters relating to his private practice would bring him back to the Island eventually.

His final working day is December 11, and he expected to be leaving the Island on December 12.

And he said he did not know who was slated to fill his post.

Mr. Mottley was originally expected to quit at the end of November after accepting a $30,000 bonus in addition to his $125,000 salary to stay past his leaving date of June, 1998.

But last month, he agreed to stay until March when the new PLP Government was expected to pass legislation to allow the Party to make the position a political appointment.

Deputy Governor Tim Gurney said that he had "no idea'' who would be the next Attorney General and did not know when the announcement would be made.

It is understood that five lawyers -- including Bermudian Ian Kawaley and MP Arthur Hodgson -- may have expressed interest in the post.