CJ Archie flies off to Barbados

Sources said he was expected to attend the Barbados Bar Association’s Inaugural Weekend Law Conference at the Barbados Hilton.

But calls to the Judiciary’s Court Protocol and Information Manager Alicia Carter-Fisher went unanswered.

The conference began yesterday and ends today and is expected to cover a range of topics including the Future of Legal Education, corporate governance, legalising marijuana, computer and technology misuse the right to privacy and practice management.

Up to late yesterday there was no statement from the Judiciary but Newsday understands that Court of Appeal judge, Justice Allan Mendonca was appointed to act as chief justice in Archie’s absence.

At a well attended meeting on Thursday, members of the association called on Archie to step down as Chief Justice expressing their loss of confidence in him.

They have also called for the resignations of the members of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) of which Archie is chairman.

At the meeting on Thursday, there were repeated calls for an investigation into the appointment of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar to the High Court.

Archie has said that the JLSC does not appoint judges as this is done by the President, but Senior Counsel Alvin Fitzpatrick said ‘strictly speaking’ that was not accurate as it was the commission that makes the recommendations to the president.

“The process of appointment is made by the president,” he said. He said the consequence of Ayers-Caesar’s appointment with 53 part heard cases left behind was ‘catastrophic.’ “It was after the bag buss, the JLSC and the Chief Justice were able, in a matter of days, to get information as to the state of the magistrate’s list,” he said. He also questioned what was referred to by many at the meeting as the ‘flip flopping’ of the JLSC after it became known of the number of Ayers-Caesar’s part heard cases and the haste to reappoint her to the magistracy to complete them.

“How could they do that?” he asked, while Senior Counsel Israel Khan said the legal fraternity wanted to know the truth. Contacted for comment in Barbados yesterday, Chief Justice Archie said he had no comment to make and would not be giving any response on the actions of the Law Association.

One young attorney said the JLSC did not act ‘rationally’ or in the highest standard expected them and senior criminal attorney Ravi Rajcoomar bemoaned the ‘serious miscarriage’ cased to persons before the courts by the appointment of Ayers-Caesar.

“This led to expected riots and we can expect more riots in the future,” he warned.

Rajcoomar also disclosed that information on outstanding cases is sent monthly to the JLSC from the magistrates’ court, manually.” Noting that not only had the criminal justice system ‘collapsed’ and was in a ‘disarray’, he said the public no longer had respect for the legal profession or the Judiciary.

“And if something is not done it is going to get worst,” as he also warned about the possibility of persons resorting to vigilante justice.

Senior Counsel Martin Daly — who was one of the first to call for Archie’s and the JLSC’s resignation — said the statements of the JLSC were tantamount to ‘confessions’ of the ‘huge administrative blunder’ which stemmed from Ayers-Caesar’s appointment.

“The first person responsible is the JLSC. I kept hoping they would hear our cries and say beg pardon,” he said.

He admitted what angered him the most was that the JLSC has refused to take responsibility for its ‘blunder.’ “They have tried to put it on everybody but themselves,” Daly said.