Daily Lessons from Life 22 September 2009

"Top British law officer fined over illegal maid
Scotland sacked the 27-year-old woman from Tongo. -Tue, Sep 22, 2009 AFP

LONDON - Britain's top legal officer has been fined 5,000 pounds (S$11,528) for employing an illegal immigrant as a maid, officials said Tuesday.

But Prime Minister Gordon Brown rebuffed calls for Attorney General Patricia Scotland to resign over the affair, saying she had fully apologised and that "no further action" was necessary.

Scotland sacked the 27-year-old woman from Tongo last Wednesday after a newspaper reported that she was an illegal immigrant.

The UK Border Agency, which polices illegal immigration, said that after investigating it was "satisfied that the employer did not knowingly employ an illegal worker".


But it imposed the "civil penalty" fine on her "as the employer of an individual who was not legally permitted to undertake work in the United Kingdom".

In a statement issued by his office, Brown underlined that Scotland had "apologised unreservedly for her mistake".


"She employed her new cleaner in good faith... But regrettably she did not retain copies of the documents proving the right to work she was given. As a result she is paying an administrative penalty," he said.

Brown added: "I have concluded that no further action is necessary given the investigation and action that has already been taken by the appropriate authorities, and her unreserved apology.""

Another strange case involving top legal officer of an advance country! We have this in the USA and now in the UK!!

Lessons for me are:

1. you just CANNOT said you 'did not know or did not knowingly' hired someone who is an illegal immigrant when you are in the office of legal law enforcement! Even if it is an innocent mistake, you have to resign to preserve the integrity and credibility of the office you represent! It is not about you but the appearance of transparency!!;

2. checking the legality of the immigrant workers under your employed has to be a standard operating procedure and to claim innocent is like saying your 'ignorant and careless' with checking the legality of the person you employed! This in way also said you don't really qualify to be holding an office that implement legal enforcement!!;

3. this case once again showed that 'stupidity' and 'the desire to keep a well paying job even when your integrity had been questioned' is NOT privy to the developing countries! What PM Brown of the UK has done unfortunately does not really help to dispel the perception that he is applying a double-standard and/or he is simply biased and just want to keep the A-G in her job!!

May more leaders see the case the way I see it: that the A-G should had been let go for this grave mistake she made!! 7e Leaders take responsibilities for their honest mistake!!