Acting Chief Justice, His Lordship The Honourable Mr. Mario Michel has announced that the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) will continue its public education program this year, a program which commenced in the 2024 Law Year.
He made the announcement while delivering the feature address, appearing live via Zoom, from Saint Lucia during the commencement of the New Law Year on January 10, under the theme “Accessibility and Awareness -The ECSC Bridging the Gap Through Community Engagement”.
Similar to the past four years, one Special Sitting was held throughout the nine Member States and Territories and was streamed live via the Saint Lucia Information Services media platforms among others.
“Another major activity of the court which commenced in the 2024 Law Year and will continue in the 2025 Law Year is the public education program,” he said. “I have long-held the view that there is insufficient knowledge and understanding about the court system in the eastern Caribbean and by the court system, I mean all of the courts which operate within our common juridical space.”
According to him, the ECSC is the centerpiece of the court system in the eastern Caribbean, but it is not the only institution within the court system.
“But is our court system and its various components understood by the public? The answer is a resounding no,” Michel remarked. “This lack of understanding is not restricted to the hypothetical man on the street.”
He continued, “It exists among men and women in every strata of the countries in this common juridical space that we share.”
Michel added, “The same is true of the awareness of our citizenry about the judicial officers who man the court system. Who or what is a magistrate and how is this juridical officer referred to? Who is the judge, the high court judge, the court of appeal judge, and the law lords who preside over cases in the privy council? Who are these people? What do they do [and] what are they called?”
He argued that none of these questions can be answered by most of the citizenry in the eastern Caribbean.
He pointed out that there are several other aspects of the court system and the judicial system which are not understood by the people served by them.
The ECSC was established in 1967 by the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court Order No. 223 of 1967.
It is a superior court of record for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), including six independent states: Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and three British Overseas Territories (Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat).
It has unlimited jurisdiction in each Member State.
Hogwash!
Mario, that in the caption is probably the most ridiculous comment you have made in your entire life!
There are variables and different interpretations where it pertains to a written law, the ramifications on just about every written law are different.
Even lawyers most of the time have difficulties in understanding the process in practicing in certain fields of law. Whereas in the Caribbean, and Dominica where lawyers starve, they take any case they get, by so doing their clients do not get proper legal representation.
If one is not trained in criminal law and decides to defend murders and thieves, that lawyer will lose practically all their cases. Cooperate Law, Family Law, Criminal Law, Immigration Law, International Law require special legal knowledge in such fields of law.
Mario, shut up because your hypothesis is total nonsense, that is why courts in Countries in the Caribbean are so corrupt, clients are victimized.
Law, and understanding, quote from Acting Chief Justice, His Lordship The Honourable Mr. Mario Michel “But is our court system and its various components understood by the public? The answer is a resounding no,” Michel remarked. “This lack of understanding is not restricted to the hypothetical man on the street.” my answer is why. Acting Chief Justice, His Lordship The Honourable Mr. Mario Michel must be thanked for his honesty and what he wants to do., but that is not enough, such an education proposal is not something the public is going to gasp overnight, but it is a start. https://www.jordanmaxwell.com/images/documents/woe-unto-lawyers.pdf
Gary this time I have to jump on your ship: Mario is talking a lot of nonsense!
The only way he will accomplish his dream of making people understand how the legal system works, he will have to teach everyone he wants to understand the legal process law.
You see some people no matter how educated they are, once they get get that fifteen minutes of fame in a photo opportunity, open their mouth and spew wet-fart, forgetting they are not talking to all illiterate people.
I assure you he personally doesn’t understand totally every language in every writing law!
That is why in places like America, in the courts, and lawyers in private practice have law clerks who research laws and interpretation when necessary, because they are not privy to all the ramifications and interpretations of every written law.
Mario embarrassed himself not realizing he has done so!