Cochrane: TT justice system not deficient to US

AMERICAN attorney-at-law Johnnie Cochrane yesterday said the Trinidad and Tobago justice system is not inferior to its United States counterpart, and it’s up to the lawyers in the various systems to argue their cases to the best of their ability.

Speaking with Newsday at the Hugh Wooding Law School in St Augustine, Cochrane said he did not believe the American judicial system was superior to the British system (upon which all Caricom nations base their judicial practices) or vice versa. “Not really deficient. One of the young people asked me and I told them how I believed in jury trials. They told me in civil cases when you are asking for large verdicts it’s a lot tougher to get that from a judge than a jury. You have to deal with the system that you’re in. I’ve had cases before judges too. You have to have passion and believe in what you do, and when you do that you can make a difference. Whatever is your system, you work within that,” he declared.

Cochrane also revealed that during his visit to Trinidad and Tobago, he was able to make important business contacts and spoke highly of a meeting he held with TIDCO officials earlier in the day. “ It’s a very important place and a very good place to do business in the future,” he said. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said several potential investors were in the country over the Carnival period and hinted that new ventures could be in the offing. In an earlier lecture to the students, Cochrane told them that the three keys to their success were “preparation, preparation, preparation”. “Never let anyone outwork you, or out-prepare you. You have an obligation when you become successful to return from whence you came,” the attorney declared. He urged the students to believe in themselves and believe in God. Asked by attorney Israel Khan SC whether the jury’s decision in the OJ Simpson case was prejudiced by the publicity surrounding it, Cochrane said the evidence was clear in that case. Present for the lecture was Director of  Public Prosecutions  Geoffrey Henderson, several members of the Judiciary and prominent local attorneys.