Former Chief Magistrate to resign

Sep 01, 2008 News

– plans to enter the political arena

By Michael Jordan

Embattled Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen said yesterday that she intends to resign from the bench by year’s end and go “full scale” into politics.
But she also vowed to seek substantial damages from the Judicial Service Commission, which she alleges acted illegally in having her removed from active duty four years ago.
“I am just one step away from resigning my position as a member of the bench and moving straight into politics. I am a lawyer coming from an active private practice. It would be like bread and cheese. Politics and the law, they go well together.”

Mrs Juliet Holder-Allen

“I am not getting anywhere (with this issue). I will go back to private practice and will be going full-scale into politics,” she told Kaieteur News yesterday.
According to Mrs. Holder-Allen, several of her friends have encouraged her to embark on this new career.
“There are a lot of things that I see wrong (with politics in Guyana), and inaction is as bad as complicity in wrong-doing.”
The Judicial Services Commission removed Mrs. Holder-Allen from her active duty in 2004, in the wake of allegations levelled against her.
One allegation was levelled by former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Madam Desiree Bernard; another by acting magistrate Bertlyn Reynolds, and another by former Minister Bibi Shadick.
However, there was no documented evidence before the Judicial Service Commission, and Chancellor Bernard later said that she never filed a complaint.
In the wake of a letter signed by the Secretary to the Judicial Service Commission, Mrs. Holder-Allen filed a challenge against Chief Justice Carl Singh, who had decided to proceed with the judicial inquiry.
Mrs. Holder-Allen charged that it was illegal for him to represent the persons who had filed the complaint against her while also presiding in the case.
She also challenged the propriety of some members of the Commission. Justice William Ramlal, however, ruled that the challenges by the Chief Magistrate were without merit.
Mrs. Holder-Allen appealed, but she said that she withdrew her appeal about a month ago, clearing the way for the hearing against her to proceed. However, she has received no notice from the Judicial Service Commission, Mrs. Holder-Allen alleged.
“The notice of discontinuance (of the appeal) was duly filed and served on all of the parties concerned, which of course included the members of the commission.
“Instead of setting up their tribunal and summoning their witnesses, as they were “champing at the bit” to do, there has been nothing but a deafening silence,” the Chief Magistrate charged.
“The intention of this Commission is clear. They do not intend that I shall continue with the practice of my profession as the Chief Magistrate of Guyana anymore. They want to frustrate me at every turn, and deny me the right to enjoy the fruits of my studies, until I get the message and resign. They want me gone from the Bench. I have no legal rights here.
“I am convinced in my mind that there are persons who bear me very serious ill-will and malice, and who are operating in very high positions above me,” she said.
“I say this because of what I can clearly see are the continuing acts of malice by the members of the Judicial Service Commission. They wanted so badly to persecute me, but now that the way has been cleared for them to “do their thing,” so to speak, they do not want to act.
“It is not lost on me, however, their actions in not lifting a finger to exercise any kind of disciplinary action against another member of the magistracy.”
And the Chief Magistrate also blamed the commission for forcing her to resign her position as the Hearing Officer of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. She alleged that the Chief Justice had refused to inform the legal counsel of the Mines Commission whether she would ever be returned to her position as a magistrate.
“I am hoping that what has happened to me should never ever happen to any other public officer.”
In vowing to seek substantial damages from the Judicial Service Commission, Mrs. Holder-Allen believes that she can have a strong case if the Commission fails to produce the witnesses in her hearing, or fails to prove any acts of misconduct on her part.
When that time comes, she will be soliciting the services of overseas attorneys, the Chief Magistrate said.
“I am assured of the services of at least one very prominent (and very political) legal luminary from the Caribbean, who has taken a special interest in my case and who is very well known to me.
“I am as ready as I can ever be to face whatever is there for me to face in the future.”