TAX APPEAL COURT EVICTED

According to Chairman Anthony Gafoor, members of the Judiciary Security Unit invaded the board’s premises on the second floor of the Hall of Justice and informed everyone that effective 4.15 pm yesterday, the staff would be evicted. The invasion by the security officers followed a letter sent to Gafoor by Michelle Austin, acting Administrative Secretary to the Chief Justice, of the threat to take possession of the board’s premises.

According to Austin, "I am asked by the Honourable Chief Justice to inform you that with effect from today at 4.15 pm, neither you nor your staff will be given access to any area of the Hall of Justice to which access is denied members of the public.

"Access to the second floor offices of the Hall of Justice currently occupied by the Tax Appeal Board will be also denied unless authorised by the Court Executive Administrator," Austin added.

Austin continued, "His Lordship regrets that this action is made necessary. Be assured that it is taken in neither haste nor without regard to the inconvenience which it may cause to the board and its staff."

In her letter, Austin said the Chief Justice asked that the chairman and staff remove all their personal effects by 4.15 pm and to ensure that all other materials be removed from the Hall of Justice within 48 hours.

She also asked the staff of the board to hand over all ID cards when they depart the Hall of Justice. Although the board was given a 4.15 pm deadline, officers of the Judiciary Security Unit moved earlier on securing the offices. At 3.45 pm, an officer stopped members of the media from going to the second floor. He stood on the staircase and dared any journalist to pass. He even went so far as to block off the staircase so that no one, including workers in the Hall of Justice, could pass.

While he was doing this, there was a murder case still in session and the disciplinary committee of the Law Association was meeting. During this time, the locks on the two doors leading to the Tax Appeal Board were changed.

At 5.20 pm, board member Vidya Dean-Maharaj walked out of the Hall of Justice, a dejected man, with his personal effects and disappeared in Woodford Square. Dean-Maharaj is the father of Madame Justice Mira Dean-Armorer.

Ten minutes later, Gafoor left the Hall of Justice, saying that all the confidential files of the board have been left behind. He said the court had been closed since January 13 and because of yesterday’s eviction, the registry was now closed. "It was savagery at the highest," Gafoor told members of the media on the steps of the court building. He said the court which had been in existence for the past 40 years was unceremoniously kicked out of the Hall of Justice. He said the board had not been able to find suitable accommodation.

He pointed out that the AS Bryden building at the corner of George Street and Independence Square was made available by the Attorney General, but he found it was not suitable because of the location and the insecure surroundings.

"I thought that Nazism went out a long time ago, but I was mistaken. By evicting the court, it is not only unconstitutional, but illegal. The members of the Judiciary Security Unit came and said they were acting on the orders of the Chief Justice and that they were not concerned about the illegality of the situation.

Attorney General John Jeremie also sent a letter to Gafoor yesterday, asking him to avoid confrontation with the Chief Justice over this matter.