Dominica’s Attorney General Levi Peter has appealed for respect for the judiciary.
Speaking on a local talk show programme on Tuesday, the attorney general said he felt it necessary to address the matter of the “wanton and completely unjustified attacks on our judicial system”.
Attorney General Peter said he was concerned that “by inference sometimes and sometimes more boldly than by inference people are casting aspersions on the chief justice (of the OECS Supreme Court)”.
He is aware of comments from supporters of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) alleging that the courts favour the governing Dominica Labour Party and Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
Those comments intensified following the court judgement given by High Court Judge Gertel Thom, who dismissed an election petition brought against Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and Education Minister Peter St Jean by two defeated election candidates of the UWP.
The attorney general says he is concerned about some of the comments hitting the airwaves, with even the chief justice being unfairly targeted.
“The suggestion being that this chief justice, this court of appeal, any judge that rules against people in this jurisdiction is against certain segments of our community,” Peter said, denouncing that kind of criticism.
He told Kairi FM’s heng Programme that it was “unjustified, is false and it should stop”.
“I urge people to respect our institutions. By all means oppose the government, do so vigorously but do it within the law, within reason, within common sense,” the attorney general advised.
It is rather ironic that Tarsha P was this morning on Q95 to release her song, when the message of the song is dirrectly speaking to the mission of Q95. They are on a constant bashing and back biting of the prime minister yet still they excited to have her come release such a song and not get it. I am fully convinced that nothing can change mankind, words don’t do a thing.
We have three independent arms of state namely: the executive, legislature and the judiciary. Each has its role to play in ensuring the efficient functioning of our small developing democracy. Each arm acts as a check and balance in the scheme of things and therefore justifiable and respectful criticism of the conduct of any branch of state ought to be encouraged. Criticism of laws, the judiciary, judges and their judgments is not a new phenomenon. The present outcry of a significant segment of the population ought to be embraced for what it is worth. The independence of the judiciary is protected under our Constitution but we the people have a constitutional right to raise our respectable concern when we believe that the judiciary may be influenced by external political forces or it has lost its sense of fairness and its ability to render justice. The judiciary plays an influential role in shaping our developing society but that doesn’t place it above everything. The Courts have an obligation to show respect and to uphold the spirit and letter of the supreme law. It is therefore necessary that we keep a vigilant watch on whether the Constitution is being honored by the government and the judiciary
This is way too heavy for us to understand in DA this is why they go about doing what they want with us.
CHECKS AND BALANCES NON-EXISTENT IN DOMINICA. EVERYONE ONE VOICE.
i agree with you. if we do not look carefully, the judiciary and the executive will merge and there will be no separation of powers> then who will arrest people in the police force, the executive,anyone in the parliament who break the law? yes, we should really keep a vigilant watch and not be silent. and please mr.AG dont you too try to silence people.
MR. AG WHEN YOU ALL IN THE JUDICIARY WILL LEARN TO HAVE RESPECT FOR YOUR POSITION THEN WE WILL RESPECT ALL YOU.
THE ONLY RESPECT YOU ALL SEEM TO KNOW IS WHERE ALL YOU SLAVE MASTER SKERRIT IS CONCERNED!!!
YOU ARE NO ONE TO TALK TO US – AND BY THE WAY WILL YOU EXPLAIN TO US WHY IT IS THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS IN DUBAI? INSTEAD OF SPEAKING ON THE ISSUES OF CRIME IN THIS COUNTRY AND SEEKING JUSTICE FOR THE WAR VETERAN MR. GON EMMANUEL?
I AGREE WITH THE THOUGHTS EXPRESSED HERE – GO BACK TO SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SA KWAY MOR DA RA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. A G you forgot that the police never executed the warrant signed by a magistrate for the arrest of Stephen Isidore? Mr. AG can you recall that a fire arm with expired license was handed back to the holder even after he had threatened some citizens with it? Can you remember that the said gun was handed over to the individual by a police? If you want respect SSSAA you hve to give it. Right now you should be extremely happy that it is just criticizms that is being levelled at the system and not active violence because of no justice.
AGREE WITH THE AG,THEM GUYS ARE PURE HOOLIGANS AND HAVE NO RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS,,HOW WE EXPECT THE YOUNG PEOPLE TO BEHAVE WHEN SO MUCH IRRESPOSIBILE BEHAVOIR IS DISPLAYED BY ***ADULTS**??,,THEM GUYS HAVE DISREPECTED THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT,BISHOP,JUDGES,P.S,AMBASSADORS ETC ,JUST NAME IT THEY HAVE DONE IT …YET THEY FIGHTING SO HARD TO GET IN GOVERNMENT AND WOULD EXPECT RESPECT,,,MY MY SO BADLY-BROUGHT UP THEY ARE,NO MANNERS
Agree with you Graduado. Imagine a leader addressing his people with:”GO TO HELL. IT’S NONE OF YOU DAMNED BUSINESS!. You are right my friend. No manners, disrespect and badly brought up! You said it.
Sir, respect is something earn. How can a child respect an adult when the adult does not respect himself or the child? The Judiciary cannot be respected by people when they keep disrespecting us. Would you like some examples sir? I guess you know them already.
Power has set itself above the law and often wonder whyyyy some stories in particular have one side.Whyyy judge against a man and disdane his side of the story
You do right Mr AG!!
Demand respect from those trouble-makers, and if they don’t do as you say, send them to their rooms!
Since I suspect that you Levi does not know the definition of the word, be informed when we use the term judiciary, we are referring to people such as you!
When we speak of the judiciary, we are talking about a system of the courts of law, and the judges of these courts, in fact we are talking about a branch of government in which judicial power is vested.
However, I am here to tell you respect is something which must be earned, and will never be gained by demanding it.
If you beat someone into submission in order to gain their respect, or point a gun to their head, and coerce them into submission that is not respect, it is fear.
If you want someone to have any respect for you, the best way to earn that is by you showing your respect to the that person first.
It will forever be difficult for any sane Dominican to respect lawyers, magistrates, judges, and the police in our country.
Indeed the police is also part of the judicial system.
Police officers lie; lawyers lie like hell, they steal, and commit heinous crimes in our country, and go unpunished, they incite violence, and get away with it; why should a population respect people who claim to be representing the law and constantly violate the same law’s of which they are supposed to be the guardians?
Levi, a law, medical, or a PhD, degree in anything does not make the holder any ” better then the peasants in the street.”
The program in Dominica is this: if someone is called doctor, or claims to be a lawyer, priest, or dog catcher, they expect people to look up at them, in some kind of special way, you people do not deserve any more respect than the illiterate human you walk past in the streets and look down at them as nothing.
I do not have to respect anyone simply because they have a title. No one in Dominica is obligated to respect the members of the judiciary in any special way, your responsibility as guardians of the law is to do what is right at all times.
That is what you are paid to do, you need to respect the people who’s taxes they pay keeps you alive.
In Dominica politics takes precedence over the law too often, how can anyone respect something so flawed, it is unconscionable to suggest that people respect people who are criminals.
Cases are filled in the courts of our country, and sits there, becomes dormant never to be heard.
Why?
The clerk of the court, and people who are employed in the courts of our country are also members of the judiciary. The judicial system is filled with unethical people who brakes the law of the land at random, should such people be respected when they behave no different to a hardened criminal?
Man you are out of your mind!
Most of the people who sit in judgment over people in our county does not render decisions based on a point of law, or any set precedence, they simply take sides, in the process they rail-road someone and render a verdict that is not based on nor have anything to do with law.
Our people are not dumb, they know when they are victimized, even if the accept that they are powerless to do anything when they are victimized by the people who should have protected them.
How can people respect a police department who has failed to solve the fire bombing of a house last Christmas; how can I respect a police force, who has failed to solve the murder of my nephew who was fond dead with his throat slashed in my village of Wesley.
How do they account for someone confessing to my nephews murder, and they refused to accept his statements as the truth, claiming that the man who confessed to the crime is incompetent, and released him from custody.
In less than a week the confessed murderer was also found in the village dead with his throat cut, and to this very moment the police has not yet found the murderer.
Should I respect such a police force?
The police force is part and parcel of the judiciary just incase you are not aware of that Levi!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
These are the people who have Dominica in the poor and miserable state in which it is today. MNr AG what about respect for the CONSTITUTION? Why were you MOO MOO when it was cursed,battered, torn,disrespected by one of your own?
Mr AG what about the GON EMMANUEL case? Mr AG why were you so MOO MOO when all the recent criminal acts were being perpetrated on our citizens? Mr AG why so many unsolved murders in this poor country? HOPE YOU ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS.
That is exactly what the AG is appealing for, that those of you regurgitating and posting spurious and unsubstantiated statements about the judiciary system to put a stop to it. It is affecting the very Dominica you’ll claim to be fighting to save.
WHEN SOMEONE WILL KILL YOUR MOTHER ,FATHER ,BROTHER, SISTER AND COUSINS AND GET BAIL ,THEN WALK FREE EVEN AFTER HE IS JUDGED YOU WILL RESPECT THE JUSTICE SYSTEM….WE ARE LEADING TOWARDS A DESTRUCTIVE DICTATORSHIP SYSTEM.
YOU MUST BE SUCKING FROM THAT BONE….
Dem UWP SUPPORTERS CANNOT STAND THE HEAT, SO HOW THEY FEELING? – HOT, HOT HOT. yOU HAVE GOT TO RESPECT THE LAW, GUYS, AND RESPECT THE JUDGE’S DECISION. HER DECISION IS FINAL. WE ARE MOVING TO HIGHER HEIGHTS UNDER THE SKERRIT ADMINISTRATION, AND THAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE. WE CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT TOLERATE ABOMINABLE BEHAVIOURS OVER THE AIRWAVES OF DOMINICA. THAT IS NOT WHAT RADIO WAS INTENDED FOR, GUYS. THIS IS NOT TRUE DEMOCRACY. DEM GUYS CANNOT GET WHAT THEY WANT, SO THEY REAL VEX WITH JUSTICE THOMAS. WAKE UP, WAKE UP, GUYS. SKERRIT IS ALWAYS ONE STEP AHEAD OF YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS NEED TO GET A REAL LIFE.
The Government is moving on to the next LEVEL, Moving onto higher heights for a greater fall. Let see whats next…….
Dear Mr. Admin,
Why are you not publishing my comments? I am getting sick and tired of your censorship now.
Each time I post it says it wants to know if I am a robot and asks me to type the fourth and fifth letter or the first and second letter. I do this to prove that I am not a robot. Still my comments do not get printed.
Is this a way to sift through comments you do not like?
I need an explanation from you Sir.
Sincerely,
Marcel.
IF THE AG WANTS RESPECT FOR THE LAW HE SHOULD EARN IT .THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS TO USE CONTEMPT OF COURT TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION.JAIL TIME AND FINES WILL PUT US BACK ON TRACT.DO NOT BE AFRAID TO DO THE RIGHT THING.TAKE THEM TO COURT
I thought this man had given up his position as AG. Sir are you back home Sir? I thought you would have taken the opportunity accorded to you to brief us about the investigations into the GON Emmanuel firebombing and attempted murder. Anything about that Sir?
I thought you would have told us about noone should make comments like “No law NO Constitution can prevent me from breaking the law”. Sir are we setting the example for our children? This selective justice thing will not be allowed to go unnoticed in Dominica nah Sir!
Good Day to GON Emmanuel,Doctor Fontaine,Lennox,Angelo,and the other PATRIOTS WHO LOVE DOMINICA!
Total lack of professional integrity.
Do your job and stop complaining about people’s wright to criticize wrongdoing.
With respect Sir, over the past months your office has been noticeable only through its silence. Your suprise appointment in Oct. of 2010 was accompanied by glowing epithets from no one less than mr. Skerrit himself. I trust that due diligence was carried out before before making such a crucial appointment. Where is your C.V. Sir, where did you practise as a lawyer in the U.K. Sir
and where is your record of public service that qualifies you as best suited for this post Sir? Partisan comments are not only undignified but totally discredit the strict impartiality that should be the hallmark of any A.G.’s office
He told Kairi FM’s heng Programme that it was “unjustified, is false and it should stop”.
“I urge people to respect our institutions. By all means oppose the government, do so vigorously but do it within the law, within reason, within common sense,” the attorney general advised.
Where is respect for us as a people? So Mr. AG you just got up. Man go back to bed, we do not need u.
Hey!! is that our AG???…. well I’ll be Darn, it is MR.Peters.
Mr.Ag are you visiting or are you home for good?
So now you want to come out and talk, what about all the killings that going out out there and murderers getting bail, we never heard your voice on those issues…….
But being now we have a political issue, you find it fit to give a statement…
So true LEVI, with everything thats happened in Possie (your hometown or I stand corrected, London is)your mouth was shut.Are you lookBing for JOB SECURITY?DOMINCA IS BEING SOLD TO THE COMMUNIST HIGHEST BIDDER THAT’S CHINA OR VENEZUELA AND YOUR MOUTH IS STILL CLOSE, MEM BETE MEM PUILE
Levi when all you proceed with the GON Emmanuel case we will give NUFF respect to the judiciary! When the the affront that just happened to the constitution is appealed on behalf of the Patriots of Dominica, and it is treated in a timely manner as is required, we give you the Dominican judiciary NUFF respect, when justice even appear to be served in Dominica, the judiciary will have earned its respect, but as of now Pardner! This judiciary system in Dominica is a big joke, a farce, the mere idea that you are demanding respect for the institution is very telling. Sir you and your ilk really, really need a lesson in democracy!
Mr. Justice has returned from from slumber
The present AG in the ruling DLP Govt. was caught making contradictory statements at a Press Conference, when questioned about the role of the AG’s office regarding the court agreeing to JUDICIAL REVIEW in the case Emanuel vs. Isidore case. Why are you MOO-MOO about the sale of our sacred property, our passports and the semingly lack of transparency and accountability.
That AG first claimed that he did not instruct any Attorney from his office to say anything to the court official/judge on the court matter E vs. I. In that same press conference, he later agreed that he did instruct. Why did that happen in a case involving two private citizens? The audio tapes could prove me wrong. I am speaking the TRUTH. Has he already forgotten?
Never again SLAVERY. Our Constitution, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human RIGHTS guarantee all of us the RIGHT to FREE EXPRESSION (without being libelous or derogatory), Freedom to Assemble peacefully, freedom of Association, among others.
Which store in Roseau sells PADLOCKS to shut up people’s mouths? Mr. AG explain to us the shenanigans going on with those two firebombings, plus the case of fraud involving a BIG WIG, and protection and defence of those alledegedly involved in all kinds of criminal acts.
Will you cause to be investigated the Rubbish Bin and Fertilizer Bobols? A simple advise to that AG: think deeply about your role in protecting our sacred Constitution, suipreme Law of the Land.
Did you mention respecting our institutions? Of course we all must. But Are you serious? What about the request by the Independent Electoral Commission re. Electoral Reform? About 7 years now the institution recommended to Govt. for funds to produce Voter ID cards and to clean Up the unclean Voters’ list?
Why not advise the PM and the other political operatives to respect and support that institution seeking to better our electoral process? And that is just one of many. Who has been stalling that correct initiative by the Commission? Don’t we want things to be put in place to ensure our elections are FREE and FAIR and FREE from FEAR? We have not heard from you on several of those burning issues affecting the people. Why? Never again slavery.
If the AG and other public authorities want the Judiciary to be respected, then they must do what is necessary to make the Courts efficient in dispensing justice and make the laws more just and the agents of the State accountable.
Thats funny, so we should respect the Judiciary system and what about the constitution shouldnt we respect it to. This is a joke right. You can go back and sleep now mr AG. You are a joker
DNO please ensure that Levi sees that for me please!!!“Justice is not a cloistered virtue; she must be allowed to suffer scrutiny and respectful, even though outspoken, comments by ordinary men – (Lord Atkin in Ambard v. Attorney-General). It is prima face legitimate to criticize a judge’s conduct in a particular case or to criticize any particular decision or series of decisions given by the courts id done without casting any aspersions on the motives of the judge or court, and without abuse. The courts are not above criticism.”
For the record, sir, it’s not only supporters of the UWP… there are a lot of Independents out there who do not have any political affiliations. By drawing reference to UWP supporters you have made your entire piece appear political and biased, in my opinion. You should have just kept it general and stated that there are ‘persons’ who allege that the courts favour the…
Couldn’t agree more. The ruling Govt. had better wake up and realize that voices of dissent are not necessarily supporters of the official opposition.They ignore those who think independently and those disenchanted supporters of the DLP party at their peril.
Or kept his mouth shut. But, then, he is obeying the orders of those who would like to curtail freedom of speech. Peter has lost all credibility as AG and should not be heard.
Meant to say , respecting the courts* And shut*
Of course it is clear that any decisions by a judge which do not meet with one’s expectations or hopes must be as a result of the judge having been paid of by the other side. There is no need to anlayze the merits or demerits of the decision rationally.Simply scream abuse at the judge in question After all They are not white and from the Privy Council. Therefore they must be corrupt and completely unreliable. For we all know that true justice can only flow from our ertwhile colonial masters. We should also return to direct rule from them,
you are foolish if you black you seem to be related to one of those fools that sold black people to slavery.
This is where I differ with the AG. Please come of age, Sir! The old Victorian system where the Court was a tentacle of the King is no more, Sir. Under the old system, it was treason to even differ with a decision of the Court because it meant differing with the Crown. We are a much more democratic and participative society; one in which the systems of governance and control are internal and not imposed upon us from some outside monarch. As such, Sir, we are within our rights to express our opinions with the decisions of our Courts, the same way we do with decisions of the Legislature and the Executive. Your attempts to elevate the Judiciary as some extreme noble and untouchable institution are at odds with the progress our society has made over the years. The Judiciary, like all other arms of the State, MUST represent the collective values of our people and be subject to the performance ideals of our people. If not, Sir, the Judiciary will not survive the collective discontent of our people.
Brilliant!
Fully agreed. Objectively evaluate their performance. Criticise if meritted but please avoid unbalanced personal attacks without any basis.
All I can say is stupes!! Don’t know why that AG doesn’t keep his mouth shut. Nothing wrong with people expressing how they feel about the judiciary.
Redz i support you saying keep his mouth shut.and go back to london to visite the queen mr Levi
So now people think we should not respect the court. That tells us, and the youth in particular (our most volatile), that we should not rely on court for justice. If that is so, should we now take justice into our own hands, an eye for eye, cut off the arm of thieves, slander all who we want and just cater to our own needs?
We need to be very careful of the message that we are feeding our people. We are so caught up in the political situation that we forget that the repercussions will affect more than just politics. I am not into politics so I can see clearly and what I see is a gross destabilizing of our society in the name of constitution, electoral reform and the like. This is not a case in which the end justifies the means.
I believe that it is not in anyone’s best interest to continue which this slandering of everything. It is easier to destroy than to rebuild. We have seen how long it takes a destabilized nation to recover. Is that what we want?
Dominica belongs to all of us – not to a few. We have three years till the majority will speak again. Let us start rebuilding now.
The Judiciary must first respect itself and not be the pawns of the politicians who appointed them.
You have not read or understood what the people are saying. Where did you read that: “…people think we should not respect the court”?
Read the list of comments again and tell me if I am wrong in my deduction that people think that the court is not to be respected.
Hey Mr. AG. Wah go! Long time no hear. You just came back man? SMH
so u saw uwp comments and u turned a blind eye to labour suppoeters comments???here u go again mr ag!respect is earned sir.
This guy have a problem. Now he is in a position this morning to pick up the phone and call the commissioner to ask for an update on the GON Emmanuel case….Mr. AG we are awaiting you again on heng to give Dominicans an update on this matter tomorrow morning.
Ahhhhhh……I placed you in a tight spot right? You understand now why Dominicans are loosing hope in the judiciary?
good point
mr. ag i support you, only if what the critics are saying is false.
i want to ask you,are the criticism false?
if you can prove them wrong, i am on you side.
The ball is in your court,
Please be informed Honourable AG that you have lost ALL credibility as the defender of our country’s laws and are in NO way to speak on issues of morality and respect for the law as you have FAILED MISERABLY to do the job for which you were appointed. The cat has already jumped out of the bag.
Where were you when the cases of Glen Emmauel (fire bombing) and the charges brought against Mr. Isidore?
Do have yourself a pensive day
It is my most fervent wish that we could respect our judiciary because without it we are cast adrift. However, respect must be earned and can never be demanded!
mr peters with so much going on… the people will always be suspicious of the judiciary… when members of the law are not holding up for justice… when people are killed on high street espionage style… when senior citizens and a former member of the judiciary home is being firebombed and those to stand for justice let it fall by the way… how can we not be suspicious of the judiciary… yes we should respect the judiciary but it should act respectfully… respect is earned not given… and so far the judiciary is lacking to earn any kind of respect… child molestation cases going for 3 years now… 3 fleaching years…. cmon… when the defendant already plead guilty to doing the deed… so because the defendant has a lawyer he/she can stall the case… why do young children have to leave school to attend court… this is one of the most foolish things going on in d.a…. unless if it’s a murder case i don’t see why a child has to go to court to face a lawyer… a lawyer vs a child… what a mismatch… and we wonder why parents settle for payments instead of the heartache of court proceedings… genuine parents knows what’s right and we’ll fight injustice and protect our children…
Mr cazy na.. he never watch court tv. ppl can comment on a judgement of any case. in america all now dey still discussing the judgement for the casey anthony case.
so wat he talking ’bout. so dominicans dat cannot talk. poor us. dooms day for us
Are you kidding me? Respect is EARNED, I don’t care what institution, what title, once you start to DEMAND respect, there is a problem.. hahah what a joke, you mean to tell me Levi, you had to join in that circus to!
Yea, double standard, What about the constitution? you guys for real?
The senior Ag that send mr there. He just following orders