CJ wants to cross-examine PM
IN HIS judicial review case before the High Court, Chief Justice Sat Sharma wants to cross-examine the respondents and those who filed affidavits — that means Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Attorney General John Jeremie, Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson, the second most senior judge, Justice Roger Hamel-Smith, and High Court Judge Mark Mohammed. This was made clear yesterday by attorney Deborah Peake, one of the lawyers representing the Chief Justice in his legal battle against the decision of the Prime Minister to have President George Maxwell Richards appoint a tribunal to investigate allegations of misconduct against him. A status hearing was called before Justice Humphrey Stollmeyer in the Port-of-Spain First Civil Court yesterday. Most of the senior attorneys in the case were out of the country. Russell Martineau SC, who is leading the Chief Justice’s team was abroad; Douglas Mendes SC, one of the Prime Minister’s lawyers was in the Ken Gordon/Basdeo Panday libel appeal before the Privy Council, while British QC Mark Strachan was out of the UK on another case. Peake appeared for the Chief Justice while Stuart Young and Michael Quamina represented the Prime Minister. Peake asked for an extension of time to file affidavits in response to those filed by the Prime Minister and others. She said there would be an application to strike out certain paragraphs from the affidavits of the respondents. Peake said it was the intention of the Chief Justice to cross-examine the respondents. She did not name which respondents. In response, Young said his team was anxious to have the matter dealt with expeditiously. He said his team wanted to keep the July 18 date for the start of the hearing of the judicial review case. While Peake asked for July 8 as the deadline to file her notices, Young wanted a shorter time. Justice Stollmeyer gave the Chief Justice until July 7. He pointed out if the documents were not filed as ordered, he intends to proceed with the case on July 18. He fixed July 12 for another status hearing. Stollmeyer has already granted leave to Sharma to file for judicial review. In his application, the Chief Justice wants a declaration that the Prime Minister’s call on April 1 for the President to appoint a three-member tribunal to investigate him, was illegal and made in breach of the rules of natural justice. Manning’s recommendation to the President was in accordance with Section 137 (3) of the Constitution. He wants the tribunal to investigate allegations of misconduct on the part of the Chief Justice in relation to a murder trial in which prominent surgeon Dr Vijay Naraynsingh was charged with the murder of his second wife, Dr Chandra Naraynsingh. Dr Naraynsingh was later discharged by Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court.
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"CJ wants to cross-examine PM"