{"id":208844,"date":"2018-11-28T09:56:58","date_gmt":"2018-11-28T13:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=208844"},"modified":"2018-11-28T10:53:03","modified_gmt":"2018-11-28T14:53:03","slug":"letter-to-the-editor-henry-shillingford-explains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/features\/commentary\/letter-to-the-editor-henry-shillingford-explains\/","title":{"rendered":"LETTER TO DOMINICANS: Power to the people"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shillingford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dear Dominica,<\/p>\n

I have occasion to write to you to explain, rationalize and yes, even apologise to my friends and family whom I might have caused anxiety by my actions of the last few days, which were solely done on your behalf, the reason for which I now explain to you.<\/p>\n

On Thursday November 22nd<\/sup> at about 10am, I went to the Registry and I tried to enter from Long Lane.\u00a0 I saw it was cordoned off and manned by individuals in Army type uniforms of a camouflage pattern.\u00a0 I tried to enter thru there and was refused by the personnel at the entrance.\u00a0 I told them they had NO RIGHT TO STOP ANYONE from going to the Court especially me since I am an Officer of the Court.<\/p>\n

This was to no avail.\u00a0\u00a0 I walked around to the Bay Front to attempt to enter from the Main Entrance.\u00a0 However the entire Boulevard was Cordoned Off, NO TRAFFIC from Cork St to Kennedy Ave.\u00a0 Again there were cordons manned by individuals in \u2018Army type\u2019 uniforms of various camouflage patterns.\u00a0 In attempting to enter there I was again refused after exchanging words with the . individuals in Army type uniforms of a camouflage pattern<\/p>\n

I immediately returned to my office and called the Registry to speak to the REGISTRAR and inform him, if he did not already know, that there were individuals in \u2018Army type\u2019 uniforms surrounding the Registry and they would not let me enter to conduct my business.\u00a0 However the secretary said that the Registrar and the Assistant Register were both traveling.\u00a0 I asked her to tell me who was the Acting Registrar to which she replied \u201cI do not know\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Registrar is probably the most important person to most of you members of the PUBLIC for it is HE who records EVERY BIRTH\u2026EVERY DEATH\u2026EVERY MARRIAGE\u2026EVERY DIVORCE\u2026EVERY LAND SALE\u2026EVERY LEASE\u2026EVERY CONTRACT\u2026EVERY PROBATE\u2026EVERY DEED hence it is the Registrar and the REGISTRY which, in fact, authenticates and makes LEGAL OUR DOMINICANESS.\u00a0 The REGISTRY is more important to the daily life of every Dominican then Parliament, the Courts, the Police HQ.<\/p>\n

You can imagine I was taken aback, hence I called the President of the Bar Association to inform her that we have NO REGISTRAR to which she responded \u201cThat\u2019s impossible Mr. Shillingford\u2026I know that the Registrar and the Deputy are traveling but they MUST HAVE a REGISTRAR, we are far down a road BUT NOT THAT FAR.\u201d\u00a0 She called back within 5 minutes and explained that she had found who it was, Ms. Auguste, a quiet, timid but extremely capable person who is truly bringing efficiency to the Title Section.\u00a0 She said she had spoken to her and Ms. Auguiste come down and escort me in.\u00a0 On hearing this I immediately went back to the ME Charles Blvd to await her.<\/p>\n

She arrived about 2 \u2013 3 minutes after me and told the person dressed like a uniformed soldier that she was the Acting Registrar and this is Mr. Shillingford, an Attorney.\u00a0 Could you let him in, to which this TOY SOLDIER said NO.\u00a0 I exclaimed WHAT! And he repeated NO you are not entering here.\u00a0 If Ms. Auguiste could have disappeared into the earth she would have.\u00a0 My heart went out for her, being so blatantly DISRESPECTED by this officer.<\/p>\n

It was at that point that I realised that this was a demonstrable example of the fact that in DOMINICA there is NO LAW & NO CONSTITUTION.\u00a0 Here the Guy with the most Guns can dictate How Things Shall Operate.\u00a0 Well, I have watched the decay and rot that has been wrought upon the pristine image of Dominica, the Nature Island of the World, over the last 15 years and the resulting deterioration of what are considered \u2018The Norms of Civilized Society.\u2019<\/p>\n

The events of Thursday November 22, 2018 were so skewed in LAW, so off the charts in legal terms, that I must list them:<\/p>\n