AG lashes out at CCJ critics

ATTORNEY GENERAL Glenda Morean-Phillip yesterday lashed out at critics of the proposed Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), describing them as ignorant and misinformed. Speaking at a public consultation of the CCJ at the Crowne Plaza Ballroom, Morean-Phillip said that despite the laying of documents in Parliament by former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj as well as public consultations, there were still persons who are commenting on matters pertaining to the CCJ who are doing so from a position of ignorance. “They should first read the documents, especially the lawyers and parliamentarians, whose duty it is to inform themselves before they open their mouths and embarrass the nation by making uninformed statements.” Morean-Phillip said since the last consultation held on July 28, the members of the Regional Judicial and Legal Service Commission were installed and they have embarked on their task of recruiting judges for the CCJ.

The Law Association, in a statement, believes that the ceremony in Port-of-Spain last Thursday  to install the Commissioners may have been illegal/unlawful in that there is no legislation in TT which recognises the proposed existence of the Commission. The AG added, “The controversy which has arisen from that simple ceremony is testimony to how critical this series of public education programmes is to the success of the CCJ and how much ignorance there is about the process of establishing the court, even in circles where such ignorance is least expected, despite the voluminous material that has been made available over the last five years.” In her opening remarks, Morean-Phillip said that TT and all other states who are hanging on to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Court as their last court, were hanging on by a thread. She said Britain was moving ahead to establish a Supreme Court to replace the House of Lords, signalling the way forward for the Caribbean.

She said the formation of the CCJ marked the final stage of a journey which has taken almost 100 years. The AG noted that during this period, TT and at least two Caricom neighbours have moved from colony to independent statehood to republican status without ever fully assuming the responsibility of our own governance. The AG said Caricom has agreed to the inauguration of the CCJ by November and work is proceeding apace in every Caricom territory to ensure that all is in place. “We fully understand, however, that there are some who are not yet ready to embrace the CCJ for any number of reasons. Change, especially when one is dealing with an institution like the Privy Council, which we have known all of our lives, can be traumatic, and there will always be those who would prefer to hold on to the status quo.” Morean-Phillip said the UNC Government signed the agreement establishing the court, volunteered this country as the seat of the court and committed financial resources to the provision and equipping of the facilities for housing the court. “There can be no turning back now.” Duke Pollard, special advisor to the Secretary General of Caricom, was the guest speaker. He dispelled the rumours that the CCJ was going to be “a hanging court.” He said the CCJ will be the only court of its kind in the world whose judges will be appointed by an independent panel. There is going to be a hands-off approach by the political directorate, he declared. He also stated that the CCJ will be financed independently.