Don’t stir up controversy

His comments came just before President George Maxwell Richards announced he had appointed Justice Roger Hamel-Smith to act as Chief Justice, until all proceedings affecting Sharma were concluded. Sir Ellis said: “I have been asked by all and sundry to comment. But I do not think it wise to comment. In fact what I’ve advised those who sought my opinion on it was to keep as quiet as possible about the whole thing. Let it unfold itself and not to stir up further controversy.”

Asked to comment on the address to the nation by Richards on Tuesday night, Sir Ellis smiled and said he didn’t think that anyone ought to comment on the President’s speech because as he understood it, “what he said is that he proposes to take action. And if that is so, I think I can only comment on the action that he takes because to comment at this stage is to anticipate perhaps wrongly, what he may do.”

Pressed further for what action he feels Richards would take, Sir Ellis said: “Based on what he said I find it difficult to know what action he would take.

“There were many clues and I think each one leads in a different direction so that I don’t think one could know what he really will do. I noted however that on several occasions he referred to the fact that he said that he will act in his own deliberate judgement.”