Ramesh: I received no application to seal Ayers-Caesar proceedings

In a letter yesterday, Maharaj said there were reports in the media on Friday that the Judiciary has moved to seal all the documents filed.

“It is to be noted that the President under the law can only be sued in the name of the Attorney General. This is made clear by the State Liability and Proceedings Act.” Maharaj said he was contacted by reporters who asked whether it was true the proceedings were sealed since some of them went to the Registry in the Port of Spain High Court to ask about the claim and were told by officials at the counter those proceedings were sealed.

“I informed the media that no application to seal these proceedings were served on me or my law firm and the procedure required to seal the proceedings required an application to be made to a judge.” He said he sent a letter to the Registrar of the Supreme Court on Friday.

“I wanted her to inform me if the proceedings were sealed, and if so, what was the process used for such an order to be have been made.” Maharaj said he has not received any response to his letter.

“It must be presumed therefore that no application was made to a judge for these proceedings to be sealed and no judge has made any order for these proceedings to be sealed.” Maharaj said “sealed” may have been a wrong term used to members of the media in describing restrictions.

“Using the term that the proceedings were sealed could have given the impression that there was a court order with the consequence that the hearing of the proceedings would be conducted in private.

There is a distinction for non-parties to proceedings to be denied access to documents filed in court...