No hearing for suspended teachers

THE judicial review hearing of nine suspended teachers of the Arima Senior Comprehensive School failed to start yesterday because the judge was absent.

The matter had been listed to be heard for three days starting yesterday, but when lawyers and the litigants turned up at the Port-of-Spain Fifth Civil Court, the judge — Madame Justice Mira Dean-Armorer was absent and the court room was locked. The matter has been adjourned, but no date has been set. The case will return to the cause list where a date will then be given. Anand Ramlogan appeared for the suspended teachers while Russell Martineau SC and Kerwyn Garcia represented the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). The nine teachers were suspended by the TSC in December 2002.

Last year, Justice Mark Mohammed granted leave for the teachers to file for judicial review and an order directing the Commission to stay all disciplinary hearings against the teachers until the case is completed. The teachers, along with representatives of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association, were at the Hall of Justice yesterday.