The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Tuesday afternoon (23rd June, 2020) issued an Order requiring the Guyana Elections Commission and its officers and agents to take no step to prejudice the fair hearing of an Application made to the Court by Mohammed Irfaan Ali and Bharrat Jagdeo.
The steps prohibit, including but not limited to, declaring the results of the Guyana elections held on 2nd March 2020 until the CCJ issued final orders following the hearing and determination of the questions raised before it in the said Application.
Counsel for Ali and Jagdeo applied to the Court on Tuesday for Special Leave to appeal against a decision of the Court of Appeal of Guyana delivered on Monday 22nd June 2020. The CCJ has ordered that all Respondents to the Application acknowledge service of the said Application by 4:00 pm on Wednesday 24th June 2020.
A Case Management Conference on the matter filed is to be held on Thursday 25th June 2020 at 3:00 pm via video conference with a view to a proposed hearing on Wednesday 1st July 2020 at 10:00 am to determine the issues raised in the Application, also to be heard via video conference in light of the global Coronavirus pandemic.
The CCJ judges, ECSC lawyers and judges need to CLEARLY demonstrate that they are not subject to Anthony Astaphan. Some of us are getting the impression that, contrary to what we thought was an independent judiciary, Anthony Astaphan seems to be uniquely influential in the practice of law in the OECS, although he is not a judge.
So what is going on really?
Was Mr. Astaphan’s legal education that superior to that of the other lawyers and judges?
Do some or most of the lawyers and judges in the region owe their careers to him?
What favours do they owe him and how does their respective debt to him affect justice in the region, especially justice in Dominica?
How did Astaphan become seemingly the region’s legal luminary?
Why are the wheels of justice so SLOW and expensive in our region?
What are the true responsibilities of lawyers and judges?
Astaphan is nothing but a little weasel that has nestled deep in the pockets of a corrupt politician. It high time for all the courts in the OECS pass ruling that is based strictly on the law each country rather than on the imaginary law of Astaphan and certain PMs. The PM that uttered some time ago ‘not law and no constitution…’ should simply have been removed from office straight away. Now we are struggling to rid ourselves of people like that. Be under no illusion, the only thing that matters to individuals like that is: POWER and MONEY
The ccj and the ecsc are made up of individuals judges whom are appointed by the politicians who they serve. Take a look at justice Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron who accepted the position of solo jurist knowing full well that Dominica has an electoral commission which supposedly is an independent entity dually selected yet this man who is the expresident of the ccj accepted such a role on behalf of PM only meaning unilaterally. Such unethical practice by member of the highest social institutions should not go unpunished cause it leads to further destruction of social moral fabric and ethics. The judiciary system is in need of major reforms, we need men of ethical and moral standing in such positions in order to give hope to our society in order that we grow as a people united.
The Wrongs England Created, have continue to reverberate in the present. Trinidad and Guyana the two East Indian dominating States, are in COMPLO into making the African the SUDRAS of the WEST. East Indians, used as SCAB Labour to deny the Africans a fair wage after Emancipation, today show the same Hate,Deceit and Hypocriticy towards the African, smile on the face with a Plunging Dagger in the Heart. The East Indians were against West Indian Federation, in Trinidad, they were against political Independence from England, its like, everything that they are not an initiated member of, its all out Negativity. Over the years, the South Asian curuptivity have taken over both Guyana and Trinidad, in doing so, a vast number of Africans have allied with them in attaining political Power, only to be Dumped. The East Indians agenda is quite clear, Political Power is a must, the Professions and Businesses are in their Domian, all thats needed now, is the Pepper in the ROTI…Balck lives matter.
With the way Tony Astaphan was able to manipulate and dictate to chief justice Janice Pereira, I have lost every bit of respect for the ECSC and the CCJ. Right now I can’t see any Dominican having any respect for them and I think we need to go back to London as our final court of appeals