After months of debate, Grenadian lawyer and former National Democratic Congress government minister in Grenada, Arley Gill, has taken up his post as a magistrate in Dominica.
Attorney General, Levi Peter, had earlier this year indicated that the attorney was to have taken up an appointment in Dominica from “June 1, 2013” as a “magistrate” but pointed out, “I don’t know what’s the hold up and why that appointment had not yet been approved by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.”
DNO can confirm that Gill received his instrument of appointment on Nov 1, the same day that former Chief Magistrate, Evelina Baptiste, took up the post of Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for Dominica and has been on the Job from November 6.
Earlier this year, then talk show host, Lennox Linton, wrote to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) to register his objection by the government of Dominica to appoint Gill as a magistrate.
According to the letter, Gill is “incapable of judicial impartiality in the current political environment of Dominica since he is an avowed supporter of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit who has appeared on the political platform of Mr. Skerrit here in Dominica to sing his praises as the ‘best leader in the Caribbean.”
Dominica News Online (DNO) has been reliably that Gill was initially turned down by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission but the Commission changed its position following further representation by the Dominica government.
I just regurgitated. Sick I sick so. When a leader continues to go against the will of the people who elected him/her; such a person should never be considered honorable. Not in his own land nor in any other.
but dominica has so many lawyers already….what was the motive behind picking this grenadian ahead of a dominican. dominicans deserve to know why
I am a former member of the Tillman Thomas Government in Grenada (2008-2013). I served along with Magistrate Gill as his senior minister in Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture.
Having read the comments on his new appointment as magistrate in your beautiful island left me very concerned. Here is the context of my concern; Magistrate Gill is a University of the West Indies graduate, OECS citizen and has worked in the region in his capacity as a lawyer. In my opinion that qualifies him to take up any position in the region he is qualified to do.
If my memory serves me right, I should be in a position to recall that a number of Dominicans, St.Lucian, Vincentians, and other OECS nationals gained employment through the Government of Grenada in all spheres of public entities in Grenada based on their competence,Skills and qualification.Their employment may not be viewed in the context that there were no qualified Grenadians available to get the job done.Additionally, I challenge the OECS citizenry to research the nationalities of judges,magistrates and other judicial luminaries in the OECS and you will notice its rich diversity deployed in each island state of the OECS.
If there is a political agenda between the goodly gentleman and Prime Minister Skeriit, that would be another issue which I cannot comment on because I do not have the facts. Additionally it is not my place to interfere with the internal politics of the Common Wealth of Dominica. However, based on the concept of OECS integration,reciprocity, qualification and competence, Magistrate Gill will always be a viable candidate for such a position.
It is important to note that the views expressed here are my personal opinion.
Long live OECS integration!!!
Long live the friendship between Grenada and Dominica!!!
Forward together….no one should be left behind!!
dno why you deleted my comment.what did i say wrong…
not sure what is going on. I know there are qualified Dominicans but we also preaching OECS unity . There is a lady from Dominica who is the senior magistrate in Anguilla and I am sure there are qualified Anguillans there .so the guy likes the prime minister ,they are friends,the devil in hell have his friends too ,you know.!!!
don’t worry Dominicans. Wen God says time is up, he means time is up.. nothing can pay for extra time. skerrit time is almost up
We need the likes of BehaziHe came in in the still of night, through the rear door. Will not be surprised if the Easy rare door was on the band wagon, also the carnival beatle.
It good for all you Dominicans. Let Skerrit call election now and see all who that going and stand up in long line and vote for him…..those most affected by his abuse and dictatorial actions.
Tasteless …………………
With all this some of u will still vote him in lord help us
He is telling us that we Dominicans are not educated enough to get this position, what a farse
where are all our educated lawyers, and judges? What is Dominica coming to,Skerrit now chose a Grenadian, well my fellow Dominicans that tells us how much he regards or cares for us..now justice will be really going down the drain
Speaking of Education, did you mean “farce”?
where are they? they are magistrates and lawyers in Antigua and ANguilla.
Is it true that you do not like calypsonians?
Can you tell us why?
Soon from now we will have a haitian priminister.
Well, we are halfway there already. I hear some people referring to the P.M. as Papa Skerrit. Worrying times.
I don’t understand why you folks seem disappointed, surprised and puzzled @ the nomination of a friend and one in cohort with Skerro. EVERY single gov in the world does this. I am not condoning this nomination but, this happens all over. This kind of behavior is not limited to Dominica, we’re not that special, people. Instead, let your voices be heard @ the polling stations, voting booths, radio station talk shows and other resources available to tackle this particular move by Skerro, in his unyielding quest to totally hijack our country and forever sell our inheritance to foreigners!
Garçon allyou not getting it man,,,
It’s one judicial system “worldwide” and mista dem can come from anywhere dey joined the BAR association to come do what dey want anywhere once allyou let dem,,,,
Is only when allyou start asking mista dem for their delegation of authority and d Edict dat give dem Authority to come administer “their arbitrary Rules” is only den they will be able to run and hide,,,
Only in Dominica.
On several occasions this cantankerous man, Skeritt, has been asking the people of Dominica to unite. There are so many villages in Dominica where this Gill guy could be employed as a Magistrate, but instead, in my opinion, he was deliberately placed in Marigot. What better place to send him to cause a roro, a daybar, then in the heart of the UWP political strong hold. The Parliamentary Representative and the Political Leader of the UWP, who have been totally opposed to the appointment of Arley Gill, both come from Marigot. According to my grand mother,” what you don’t want to see at your door steps, you will find it under your bed.”
Weellll! I guess if your name is ‘Opposition’ you might as well be opposed to everything the ruling government does or tries to do.
I don’t give two kicks about how many thumbs down I get. It is obvious that the opposition opposes everything which the present government does. Maybe it is just small island politics and the present government might do the same if they were opposition. Take a good look and judge for yourselves.
Let take this moment to congratulate all Dominicans for a peaceful independent day, i am hoping that we remember the man who through trials and tribulations brought us to where we are today. Dominicans needs stop fighting against progress. The only time government fill positions is because it citizens, either are not quality, or not interested. So please shut up,or put up
Are we forgetting that we are working very hard to strengthen The OECS. Unless some of you are trying to say you all are not interested in the success of The OECS integration.
That is not the point….Dominicans who are more qualified and experienced were overlooked…..
Oh, and what is the OECS doing for us? We are obliged to buy their flour and feed stuff and pay through the nose for Coca Cola because that organization is a protection racket for their manufacturers and merchants and still they scrutinizing us when we go their for a visit with suspicion. Unity my foot.
Dominica has competent and experienced magistrates who work long, hard hours for small pay….Anyway, all this shall come to past soon!!!!!!!!!
I for one see a mass EXODUS/DEPORTATION for foreigners and invaders when Lennox wins this coming election. Passport holders or not must go. Lennox mark this comment is my friends at DNO don’t delete it. We must take back our Country – by the hook or by the crook.
Amazing to see Dominicans responding in the negative, especially when there are more Dominicans in other people’s country than they are other people here. And I not talking about China and the French persons. Maybe Grenada, Antigua, St.Maarten and the rest of the Caribbean should send back all them thousands of Dominicans so they can take back their country and jobs!
Let us forget our political affliation for a moment Close our eyes and just think for moment how many of us have family members working all over the world and ask .WHAT IF? YES WHAT IF? they
were not given the opportunity to migrate and given the opportunity to work and help family members right here in Dominica. The gentleman is qualified he will be contributing towards the economy, He will be working and paying Taxes Do we know whether there was a Dominican who was offered the job.
does that mean that dominican not qualify for the job?
the question should be – Were any Dominicans qualified for the position?
there are rules about legal appointments.
it’s like who can be a judge – there are rules – minimum yrs of service etc
Ali we went to school together I am disappointed.
My people of the Island of Dominica, open your eyes, after all, GRENADA is part of RSS,CARICOM,OECS,THE UN,and most of all this Planet. I have always love Dominica since I have many friends there. Let us not go down this road to demise our brother, give him all the support he will need, we have so many of yours here in Grenada and accepted them as our own, don’t allow unity to divide us in this era of our development, I expect COP Gabon to fully support him and I know he will.
boy what goin on in this country skerret u again
well when they refused to renew BEHANZIN’s contract Dominicans remained silence, so we should take what we get. He was the best Magistrate we ever had!!!!!! now gone on to better things!!
ok… he may have been tough on crime and doing what “the people liked” but he was nto obeyign the law. Many of his cases were overturned becuase he went outside the realm of the law with his sentenses.
Does that make him a great magistrate?
he is there to uphold the law ans ensure that when it is broken the perps pay – not to make the perps pay with sentences that are not even “legal” for the crime
I am still hearing all you politics with the man, give the man his credits for lowering crime in Wesley, Woodford Hill, Calibishie and Marigot while he was on the Bench, let us not forget successful peace conference with more than 850 people in participation, some walking from the villages to attend and stayed for more than 4 four hours until the men pledged peace! the crime played out on Behanzin backfired, when nine of the men he either sent to jail that were released earlier than his sentence, were all killed on the streets of Dominica. the attempt to humiliate Behanzin backfired in our face!! Would it not have made more sense to allow the previous convictions to be seen by the Court of Appeal, instead of remove them to make it appear that Behanzin’s sentences were to high!!! we should stop this politics
i’mWondering, you are displaying your ignorance or is this deliberate distortion of facts?? Two of Behanzin’s sentences were returned for retrial Amstrong alledged by his attorney Levie Peter, that he was forced to plead guilty by Behanzin. He went on be charged for shooting with intent three people on separate occasions. He was then arrested for the execution of Tyson Thomas. Amstrong was then gun down in Zicack Portsmouth on 3 jan 2012, Clement labastier was sent to prison by Behanzin for his attach on a school bus full of school children with alkali, of the seven injured, three are permanently injured. he went on to kill an elderly gentleman in Vielle Case, some three months after his early release. Nine individuals that Behanzin either sent to jail and released early or were denied bail, were put back on the streets are killed on the streets. the lawyers who represented these criminals did not even attend their funerals, not one! we still are trying to humiliate Behanzin
U are not welcome…we Have enough like u in Da already…
Go put on ur robe and sit in the bench lol
well is now politics running the court.
Politics been running the courts in Dominica for a while now. He is just putting the final pieces of the master plan into place.
sing for your supper.. DA really in trouble..poor people children that’s going to pay for it. Control the money,Control the police,Control the courts,you control the state.
No man! D/A is not in any trouble where this man is concerned. What’s happening here is that, skerritt just keep on putting more nails in his coffin.
Wayyy papa, more politics. eh beh look it. one day we will see our country as a country rather than a petty club. if what Lennox say is true Dominica finish
Ok google responded….the magistrate makes the decision in a preliminary hearing if there is no grand jury and that is totally up to the prosecution….so have a grand jury….but it is sometimes better to have an unbiased magistrate……..
Ok a magistrate gives the verdict for less serious offences and also decides on more serious ones…..how does that work…..preliminary
That’s very…………… UNFORTUNATE!!
Wait….so what’s the purpose of a JURY…..do they have those for high profile cases in Dominica or do the judge hand down the verdict??….
Like a Thief in the night!
hmmm
I am not surprised or disappointed in what Skeritt or Levi Peter have done, however I am disappointed how lightly Ossie Lewis has accepted the appointment of Arley Gill as Chief Magistrate. Ossie loves his job as a Magistrate, as far as some Dominicans are concerned, he is the hardest working Magistrate in Dominica and to be bypassed and the job given to a Skeritt synthetizer must be hurtful. Mr.Ossie Lewis is a very outspoken individual especially in terms of sports, when the West Indies Board, or Dominica Cricket Association or the Australian Cricket Selectors would select a cricket team which is not to the satisfaction of Ossie, the barrage of criticisms that he would throw at them is merciless. Today ,the Skeriit Labor Administration has discarded him for the post of Chief Magistrate, the man is moumou, not a sound. I wish to applaud the Pilots at Liat, did they behave similarly to people like Ossie Lewis, Liat would have never withdrew the pilot’s suspension.
Do you realise that Ossie is a 70 year old retired public offier? How on earth can he be a Chief Magistrate when he has passed the retirement age of 65. He is kept here by contract on a year to year basis simply because there are no lawyers who are interested in the post of Magistrate. Maybe the Gov’t should consider making the remuneration package attractive.
Then ask the he recuse himself from any matter that involves the party or Prime Minister
WELL, WELL, WELL. I thought there was numerous UNEMPLOYED people on the Island. Were any of them not qualified for the position.
How can there be a reduction in unemployment when people from the outside are brought in to do these jobs? Are DOMINICANS NOT INTERESTED?
Maybe they should send home all Dominicans living in Florida so that those born in Florida and other parts of the States who are out of a job to get the jobs that Dominicans hold. Would that be fair?
Lol I love that comment, Dominicans don’t think before they speak. So many of us out there working, we are OECS,are we not?
Was this job given to a Floridian? If not then stop using silly comparisons. We in dominica who pay taxes should not be held hostage because some Dominicans like u chose to to take their chances in overseas areas with a greater economy than Dominica.
you don’t even have to go as far as USA. make Antigua send back the Dominicans and see what happens.
FT Lauderdale Florida/Dominica LOL
I don’t like it. Plain and simple.
This surreptitious, ‘in the dead of night’, appointment of Gill by the Skerrit Government, is clearly an affront to the people of Dominica. Enough said!
That is provocation. You mean no local person for this job?
the things happening in D A makes me sick. its like there are not men in the country.
if you come by night you will run by night TOO.
Lennox should start stocking up on BAYGON – after the great victory there will be much disinfecting to do – you know fly-in and crawl–in insects
How many pictures did you take out before you came up with that one.
I don’t trust you one bit. This is disturbing news. Another gunpoint selection.
This is the time for DOMINICANS to be calling out for divine interventions because the dictator strike again. Dominicans ask yourself why is our educated men/women been passed over by this GOVT for outsiders, when will they employee our sons and daughters .
if u eh sing the praises of skerrit, thou shalt not eat!! wa happen allu blind.
Well Well!!
Every week a Dominican is called to the bar but yet we still cannot find any senior lawyers who is so worthy of being magistrate. We had to go out of state to get an political bias of the Skerrit cabal.
Go on iotola set up yourself for your own down fall.
Team Dominica is on a roll
Jah help Dca!!!!!!!!