Chief Justice case starts July 18

CHIEF JUSTICE Sat Sharma will get his day in court on July 18, when the High Court will begin hearing his judicial review case against Prime Minister Patrick Manning. The matter was called before Justice Humphrey Stollmeyer in the Port-of-Spain First Civil Court yesterday. But it was merely a status hearing. Lawyers on both sides met in chambers with the judge to outline their schedule. On April 12, Sharma filed for judicial review of the decision of the Prime Minister to represent to the President that a tribunal be appointed to investigate if he should be removed from office. An affidavit by Appeal Court Judge Stanley John was filed in support of the Chief Justice.

Sharma was granted leave the following day by Justice Humphrey Stollmeyer, who also granted an injunction blocking the appointment of the tribunal pending the hearing and determination of the judicial review application. Since then, President George Maxwell Richards indicated that out of respect for the court, he would not appoint the members of the tribunal “at this stage.” On Thursday, affidavits were filed in court on behalf of the Prime Minister, Attorney General John Jeremie, and Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson.

When hearing was convened in open court at 10.25 am yesterday, none of the lawyers spoke except to announce the appearances on both sides. The judge was the only one to speak. Justice Stollmeyer ordered that all affidavits by and on behalf of the Chief Justice should be filed and served by June 21. The Chief Justice is expected to respond to Thursday’s affidavits by the State. The judge asked that a status hearing be convened on June 29 and that all interlocutory matters be dealt with in the week commencing July 4.

He then fixed July 18 for the start of the substantive motion brought by the Chief Justice. The case will continue day-to-day until it is completed, the judge added. The Chief Justice’s full team of lawyers were present — Russell Martineau SC, Frank Solomon SC, Desmond Allum SC, Deborah Peake, Rajiv Persad, Devesh Maharaj, and Dennis Gurley. The Prime Minister’s British Queen’s Counsel, Mark Strachan, was absent as he is reported to be in another jurisdiction. However, Manning was well-represented by Douglas Mendes SC, Michael Quamina, Stuart Young, and State attorneys Grace Jankey and Rehanna Hosein.