High Court Judge, Bernie Stephenson, has granted a stay in the case involving some Salisbury residents who were arrested and charged under the Riot Act following protest action in the community last year.
Through their lawyer Cara Shillingford, the residents had filed a constitutional motion challenging the constitutionality of the Riot Act.
On Thursday, Justice Stephenson ordered that the matter be stayed.
“The matters in the Magistrate Court involving the claimants and others arising out of incidents on the 11th May 2015 and 11th June 2015 at Salisbury by consent is hereby stayed until further or other order of this court,” she said. “That the defendants shall file and serve full written submissions with authorities in support of their application to strike on or before the 21st April 2016.”
Additionally, Stephenson said the “claimants shall file and serve full written submissions with authorities in response on or before the 7th May 2016. The defendants shall file and serve their full written submissions in response on or before the 14th May 2016. Should the court require hearing from Counsel, the court shall give seven days notice of such hearing and directions in that regard. All submissions are to be filed both on paper and electronically. The claimants have conduct of this order.”
The defendants Hector John, Hilary John, Thomas Louis and Lennary John were summoned to court after they allegedly took part in protests in the community on May 11 and June 11, 2015.
On the days mentioned, Salisbury was engulfed in disturbances as the police and residents faced off. The first action, on May 11, was in protest of poor farm road conditions in the area.
It was eventually broken up by the police and the second protest, on June 11, took place after the police swooped into the community and arrested six residents on allegations that they were part of the first protest.
Both actions have been described as “riotous” by the police.
Fancy legal foot work in progress. That entire justice system need to go in a washing machine. A set of those judges and magistrates and court staff need to be fired. Plenty cleaning up needed to fix that country. B. B is a big labourite in her mo….
Hot, Hot, Potatoe, apparently, no one wants to touch it.
The people of Salisbury are victims of a vindictive and evil Government! Parts of the Country that did not vote for the Government are systematically being victimized. One example is the Pond Case to Melville Hall Road where road work suspiciously ends just below the Hatton Garden area, bypasses the vast majority of Marigot, then resumes at Melville Hall close to the airport. This clearly states that if a certain constituency does not support the Government they get NOTHING! Take for example, the Marigot Hospital, the closest Hospital in the event of an emergency at the Country’s main airport, completely forgotten and abandoned by this administration. Yet, we see hundreds of thousands going to places and people in constituencies won by the Dominica Labour Party. We see massive galas for individuals like the infamous Baroness Suce Cel and celebrations for an Honorary Doctorate degree not unlike the one that was given to KERMIT THE FROG a few years ago. Shameful!
sorry just me lol you said clap lol
OH sorry just me lol you said clap lol
just me ; what do you mean by clamp them?
Guess who was representing the government in court today? Tony Astaphan. The tax payers are paying Tony when government have lawyers at the attorney general department.
no law or constitution written by man can ever stop people who are endowed by the creator with liberties to protest and even riot against unjust laws or an oppressive regime. remember we govern ourselves through our representatives . the true power is in we the people.
Clap them, clap them.
did u read bfore sending
Mr. Ryan… what you suggesting and looking for, pray it does not come to that; we are not in May 29th 1979 which I witnessed. this is the 21st Century, 2016. Pray it DOES NOT come to that! If it does, the entire west coast as you suggested, will regret it…
Good point, Ryan needs research and learn his history before he makes that kind of comment.
Common jean bawi, time to show them WHO got the power
Well it is good to see from the comments here that the justice system does work in Dominica, particularly when it favours certain parties.(I do not mean political parties, I mean people or groups of people).
Let’s see what the reaction will be as the case continues!
Sensible decision
Time to take back to the streets we Dominicans should not stand for that.. Rise up my ppl Rise .. Entire west Coast up to Roseau must be shutdown..
Only in Dominica Ryan you all can and will do that, Rise up to develop the country and not take it down. You are not destroying the PM nor his cabinet with that attitude but your children if you have any.
Take the time and look into the mirror and tell me who are you seeing, do something valuable for the country and go find a job………………
oh sorry just me lol you said clap lol
Really MIA only in Dominica you can do that? At least some of us don’t wear our badge of ignorance and stupidity like you’ve just displayed. We can read, we can comprehend we can decipher and as must as people like you don’t wont to relieve another 1979 mark my words it will happen. Just TIMEEEEEE. And by the way there are no jobs because your lazy government lacks the brain to initiate any sort of activity that will grow the economy. Did you notice? A Frenchman had to tell us the persons more so tourists aren’t coming to Dominica. That’s the work that you all are speaking of. Don’t worry one of those good days people like you will wake from your slumber