Judges pray, IRO officials take back seat as Law Term opens

This service features representatives of the highly-influential religious lobby group. These representatives would normally offer invocations.

On Friday, however, that task fell not to religious persons.

Instead, judges said prayers.

“That was our recommendation,” said IRO President Brother Harrypersad Maharaj yesterday.

“We want to encourage people of the different professions to create their own spirituality in their own environments.” Should members of the Judiciary – who must follow institutional guidelines which ban them from partisan activity – be encouraged to proselytise? “A judge is a normal person and a normal citizen,” said Harrypersad.

“We cannot deprive them of their constitutional right to freedom of worship.” He said some might take comfort in knowing the judge is religious.

“There are judges who are priests – including one member of the Court of Appeal who is a Presbyterian priest,” Harrypersad said. “Is it that somebody is going to say I am not going to go before a judge because he is of a different religion? In fact, you might get a fairer judgment.” He said the IRO has been trying to change the format of the opening of the Law Term in this regard for years.

“This year we thought it was time to make a move on this,” Harrypersad said.

The IRO has been at the centre of a heated debate over reform of child marriage laws. That debate in large measure began when Chief Justice Ivor Archie opened the discussion at a panel at the NCG Bocas Lit Fest in April.