CASTRIES, St Lucia – The recent announcement by the incoming chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, that he intends to make the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) the ultimate legal body of all member states by the end of his tenure has drawn a reaction from the leader of the Lucian People’s Movement (LPM), Therold Prudent.
In affirming his party’s opposition to joining the CCJ without the express consent of the citizens throughout the OECS territories, Prudent insists that such a move would not only serve to devalue the principles of democracy but could also eventually ensure that both the legal and political systems are controlled by cowards who are distrustful of the independent judgment of their own people.
In this regard, it would seem unconscionable for any right-thinking person to accept that, after years of hauling political opponents to court and displaying public attitudes which have, at times, seemed disrespectful, intolerant and condescending towards others, Roosevelt Skerrit, Kenny Anthony, Ralph Gonsalves and Denzil Douglas, among others, could be found to be sufficiently credible to single-handedly to approve the CCJ as the final appellate body of the OECS.
To understand the sudden rush to adopt the CCJ as the final appellate court in the next 12 months, one must first understand the school of thought that currently exists among the various labour party governments within the OECS community.
Prudent explained that, for many years now, it has been the belief of certain Caribbean leaders that the CCJ would be an easier legal entity to control than the Privy Council, which has had a very long history of independence and does not conform to the influences or interferences of any political directorate.
Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that, by getting rid of the Privy Council (the only legal body which has, for decades, consistently provided effective checks and balances against government overreach and other tyrannical tendencies within the OECS and the wider Caribbean), the current OECS governments would be in a greater position to seal the legal fate of thousands of citizens who, technically, no longer have access to a truly independent court of last resort. The CCJ would, in effect, become the court of such governments, since they — and not the people — were responsible for providing the legitimate means for it to operate within the OECS.
Prudent suggests that such a move would not only provide the basis for gross political interference within the CCJ but may also even lay the basis for the possible future appointment of partisans, such as Dr. Kenny Anthony and even his controversial Dominican-born attorney, Anthony Astaphan.
There are dark clouds which threaten the continued expansion of democracy within the region, including alterations to the original intent and purpose of the CCJ.
Therefore, in light of these latest developments, it would be irresponsible of any opposition party within the OECS community to ignore calls for a coordinated strategy to push back against these current regimes’ diabolical plans to secure unfettered power. Whether through civil disobedience or mass public protest, resistance must be mounted, Prudent concluded.
My people something VERY SINISTER with that CCJ.
Just a thought.How is it,that when our various Countries, when they sought, Independence, did not also seek the same with the Judicial systemn? And is only now that is being sought?
It took this ticket sales scandal with the CCJ judge to make some of the doubters to consider(if not accept) judges are,can be corrupted too and screw up judgements!
I wonder what it will take to accept that this Neo DLP laced with DFP-ites like Marijuana recreationa or medicall can be laces with cocaine.
All the bobols have an element of fact in them. from the first land deal.
dem boys want ccj cause they believe in bribery, using money to get what they want. want to turn justice the other way round to injustice. jah guide dominica please them reversing and aint know it.
Our local and regional judicial systems are based on British Law.
The highest court in the British legal system is the Privy Council.
There are and have been Judges from a variety of nationalities within the Commonwealth of Nations including the Caribbean nationals who serve on the Privy Council.
To date we have heard no discussion from our political directorate or our legal luminaries with respect to development of our own Caribbean legal system. Laws which reflects our culture and traditions, a legal system which is created by us reflecting our history and the values we desire our citizens to uphold and value. We still hold fast to the British model with no sign in sight of giving it up. We have set up the CCJ to interpret laws base on the British legal system.
The Judges who will serve on the CCJ will come from all nationalities within the British Commonwealth. They will not be judges exclusively coming from the Caribbean. With this new CCJ one must consider the question of competition among regional and International courts in attracting high quality judges to serve on these various courts. I suspect the CCJ will be feeding at the bottom of the food chain in that regard.
Can you imagine Tony and Alick serving as CCJ judges? May God help us all.
I agree totally with every word of Mr. Prudence. Prudent indeed. CCJ can never interpret British law better than the Privy Council.
“To date we have heard no discussion from our political directorate or our legal luminaries with respect to development of our own Caribbean legal system. Laws which reflects our culture and traditions, a legal system which is created by us reflecting our history and the values we desire our citizens to uphold and value.”
This is an interesting observation – a legal system reflecting our history and Caribbean values and traditions. Seems to me, this is nigh impossible, since our ‘young’ history is nothing more than a mixture of French, African, British, Spanish, Arawak and Carib. We cannot boast of any Caribbean culture or set of values distinct to our region.
The British influence predominated and likewise the British legal system. Hence the CCJ will have only the British legal system on which to base its laws. The smart thing to do is definitely NOT to re-invent the wheel. Stick to the Privy Council, the world’s most independent Final Court of Appeal.
You definitely got me thinking on that point you made regarding our relatively young history. I am thinking.
“Prudent insists that such a move would not only serve to devalue the principles of democracy but could also eventually ensure that both the legal and political systems are controlled by cowards who are distrustful of the independent judgment of their own people.”
i think this sums up my feeling on the CCJ ENTIRELY!
CCJ giving our guys too much opportunity for koko makak.
You really think English justice is that much worse than our own? Papa Bon die, we must be the most righteous and smartest people,in the world. that must be so because we taking overseas aid from all these western countries and not giving any ourselves. That is smart, no? We fooling the “developed” world all the time, no? Chupes man, time we wake up and truly smell the coffee.
I have generally respected Therold Prudent’s political thought. I also have admired the advancement to integration within OECS and have hope for Caricom to catch up – and as a grandson of a regional integrationist I have had great hope for the CCJ.
Please sir, provide examples where the Privy Council (as you claim – the only legal body which has, for decades, consistently provided effective checks and balances against government overreach and other tyrannical tendencies within the OECS and the wider Caribbean) has had to rule to prevent governments in the region from overreach or other tyrannical behavior?
I request this history so as to understand your thinking as to the future you are predicting regarding this citizen choice matter – is it politics or patriotism?
Integration of the OECS and Skerrit goes and signs up to the CCJ unilaterally? Man, that is not even a joke but contrary to everything he preaches. Can’t make out that man anymore, seriously!
PRUDENT MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
The corruption has already begun in the CCJ. Read this article.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,197937.html
Are you implying that there is no corruption in Great Britain? You are only fooling yourself. While we’re at it why not file a petition to revert to British rule.
what a slap in skerrit face, I like it I really like it,,,
here is the part I really like the most,
such a move would not only serve to devalue the principles of democracy but could also eventually ensure that both the legal and political systems are controlled by cowards who are distrustful of the independent judgment of their own people
“whosoever diggeth the pit, shall fall in it”- Bob Marley
Some time ago, say 13 yrs ago a D/can friend e-mailed me asking, if I had seen her young handsome PM. I said, I saw him and??? now I just e-mail her 13 yrs plus later and ask have you seen how ur P,M has aged and become a fatty face jombie looking creature ?? He now competing with the other Jombie AA the senior counselor. These guy look scary!! Help! help!
D/cans are becoming scared not only of their looks but their politics.
Good luck sister Caribbean island reminds me of Gairy Burnham ,Baby doc and the rest. DA had a taste in 1979 ur current president was the instigator then now he has been given the position of President by his former party youth arm member. If iwas not Caribbean I would think the idea orginated in Holly wood.
You all had a song for carnival OH John I see corruption.
Now D/cans should be sing oh Skerrit I see excessive corruption.
How does Charles Sevarin feel now as President when he help force sir Louis cools out.
History will repeat self Sevarin. Good luck.
Its coming for you lol!
In the Region
You are not alone in noticing how our PM has mutated into a different person. He reminds me of Idi Amin.
How could such an abhorrent transformation be effected in such a short period of time?
It is possible that he is so fixated on ruling the caribbean, that he is neglecting his appearance!
No longer attractive either in appearance or behaviour.
I concur them man eating too much they turning ugly young .Dee man just turn forty am 17 yrs older than him and he looks like my bigger brother in a hand full of yrs.
I remember a few yrs ago he did his cock dance for independence and challenge his senior James to join.James say I not a creole man am a ahfouahwee.
Since fat face cannot dance again too heavy now. Now he only pumping fists at convention.
Boss so fat now he resemble those African chiefs all Skerro needs is a wrap around cloth and dee boy will pass for a tribal chief.
HEHEHEH LOL!
yes we pappy……i was right in the middle of these jokers all these yrs ago when my best friend convinced me to attend a meeting and i could’t believe my ears when everyone around placed the future of them and their kid in the hand of a man on the merit of his “handsome face”……..they haven’t seen anything yet but one thing i know is not everyone is a dumb dominican so he can keep his kim jung il attitude to himself, he’ll do that with them but the other members of oecs will not tolerate his a…ness.
Look like the I (s) don’t have it on this topic lol
You are a BIG LIAR, because he was not prime minister 13 years ago.You all uwpwee are just liars and deceivers.5000 thuosand jobs in 3 years.bel bef.
Mr. Prudent,
I’m sorry sir but Dominica has slipped into a dictatorship system under Prime minister Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit. Remember who his mentors and personal friends were, Muammar Gaddafi, Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro. He is therefore seeking to place the entire OECS under the same system.
Can you believe Prime minister Skerrit invited the police to search the home of the leader of the opposition party Mr. Lennox Linton and to prosecute/jail him if necessary? The PM reported to the nation and the police that confidential information from his desk to the Integrity in Public Office commission was leaked and he was convinced that the opposition leader was responsible.
Last week police investigation revealed that it was a calculated effort by the Prime minster and his attorney Tony Astaphans to discredit the IPO commission and to falsely incriminate the leader of the opposition. This was justified when the PM admitted that he knew his attorney was responsible for leaking the information to a third party and that he had given him the permission.
He is yet to make an apology to the nation and to the leader of the opposition party. However, last week he ordered the police to arrest a member of the opposition, Mr. Daniel Lugay because he was said to have made threatening statements to the government during a party meeting. Though Mr. Lugay did not mention any particular name in his statement, he apologized to the people he had offended. He was however arrested after the apology.
This is just 1 of the many atrocities committed by the PM against the citizens of Dominica. Its an election year and Dominicans are hoping to vote the Prime minister out of office. However, based on the many irregularities that are associated with the voting system, I am not very optimistic. God be with Dominicans.
There too DLP don’t have it 17-4
I fully support the CCJ, but can one imagine Anthony Astaphan or Alick Lawrence being appointed a CCJ Judge one of those days? They are already Senior Counsels so the next step is to be a Judge! Who can stop the process in case of this eventuality?
I am jn favor of breaking all links to colonialism but what presently exists is frightening!
So Prudent’s intervention makes sense, Caribbean political leaders cannot be trusted, from Jamaica to Trinidad and all those in between, it is a shame that the Caribbean’s first significant generation of intellectuals since the abolition of slavery has sunk so low.
If I did not know better and with respect for the blood of my forefathers, I would say let’s go back to colonialism and allow a motherland to take care of us like in Guadeloupe and Martinique, but my level of consciousness will not allow it. So I’ll join the fight against those neo-colonialists with black skin and white masks.
agree with you except history of the Caribbean if part colonial and despite our need to break away it ain’t tht easy we are hybrids like the current government and opposition alike EDDO ,,Linton etc or ej hail from not only Marigot but the DFP. Ron Green by product of the planter class.
others from DLP, DLM and the majority from poverty it’s just one big matrix of helices not only of DNA so we are the Bouyon sometimes the Sewo other times the opportunitism/ seekers of cover ,economics reader ur choice we are basically mascarades in DA & the Wider Caribbean.
You pees don’t like the truth? Lol too bad .the old cliché stands. lol LMAO” The truth offends,”
So you would prefer go back to colonialism, And you favor the English and American politicians? Hmm.. I guess you have forgotten what they think of you, guess you forgot what their intentions were/are to you. Look up ‘slave’ in the dictionary. But i guess maybe you would rather be caned by an outsider.
Why we have to reject everything that come from colonial things? Why don’t we keep what is good and reject the bad? The English have assaying ” throwing the baby out with the nth water”. I’m afraid that is what we may be doing> Not everything African is inherently better than what we have already.
You guys areva bunch of jokers,just want to hold on to colonial masters coat tail.Move on, aren’t we independent Nations. There is just too much petty politics in the region.
If Skerrit was trust worthy I would be willing to hear him out on the issue… So no rush. Once PM Linton takes the helm I will listen.
So River Street, Whose legal system is it that the CCJ will be upholding? Please enlighten us since it is your view that those of us who have concerns as to the independence of the CCJ, are regarded as colonialists.
Please tell us if the Common Law system is is not the same colonial system that you condem. We anxiously await your answer.
Very valid point. Is British case law we will be following the CCJ. Fellows just want big jobs for themselves and work hand-in-glove with regimes that pay them.
Ask your” Govelment” River Street yes we are and also neo colonized by who you ask? Ask ur gov’t
Sister Marie once said Never change ur gov’t other wise you will starve the Gov’t has not changed in 14 years and DA has never know starvation it’s coming. Sister Marie was wrong. Maybe he should have discussed with Zingpin.
My fellow riverstreetian is laughing and telling me these people don’t know River street history how you expect the to know about sister Marie Zingpin let alone ,D/can history.
Ask them about Moozie they may know or even Maco River street/Hillsborough street.
Are you really from river street? River street was once a great street check our History. Then only then can /will you understand what replacement has done and can do. look at River Street now
Giveme a break!
How independent are we bother when a large part of our budget depends on foreign aid?
Just imagine the likes of Tony Astaphans appointed to the CCJ. * shudders* If Labour wins this a real possibility. No thanks! I agree with Prudence. .why the rush?
just opposing for opposing sake, when we can build our own institutions some people want to keep hold to our former colonial masters
I totally agree. With all the rampant corruption throughout the OECS, keeping the Privy Council would maintain a modicum of neutrality and fairness within our legal system. We need a Court of Appeal free from political and government pressure. Once Skerrit is for it so hard you know is a borbol that there waiting to happen.
Take note that Prudent is equivalent to being the Pappy of St. Lucia
let’s replace or better delete voicemail with bouef-mail like the CCJ they wanna replace the Privy council.
Change ur name to dumb mail.
Sort
Voice Mail??? I feel sorry for you. Look like Skerrit has already placed that dirty red wool over your eyes.
Mr Prudent makes a whole lot of sense. Not only that, Skerrit with all of his arrogance could use a bit of Prudent’s humility and intelligence to govern our nation.
I fully endorse the view of Therold Prudent on the issue. Within the region we have seen semblance of distrust amount the citizens and the courts particularly when she attends to matters of political importance. We have seen the behavior of politicians in power as oppose to those on the opposition, and the examples are numerous. It is indeed of great interest and concern when as a region the our people sees things differently and can give a rationale for it, rather than grasping at any and very opportunity to maintain the incharge syndrome
we will have soon a carribean labor party in power and no one can touch them.
Prudent is playing party politics with the future of the region. Why would LPM want to hold back the forward movement of a regional justice system in the name of so called democracy. LPM seems to want to hold on to the legacy of colonialism but don’t they realize that the British wanna let go totally. What happened to the philosophy of self determination in the region.
Its a reason why you are in opposition its thinking like this is what keeps people like you looking at history and saying things like this, what’s the old saying thief never like to see thief with long bag its because you know what you would that’s why you oppose this but the people that has the power put people in charge to do their work so sit back and enjoy the progressive ride.
Dumb possie, another talking religion.
we have gone off logic and commonsense in the region.
Cases locally are deceided over scotch what will occur regionally when all these legal frame work changes?
Just another one Dom- in -a- can
Question: What part did the people play in Skerrit’s decision to join CCJ?