Bar Association expresses concern

Apr 23, 2009 News

President of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA), Teni Housty, via a press statement, has expressed grave concern over the recent criminal attack that occurred at the residence of Magistrate Nigel Hawke.
According to him, the GBA and members of the legal profession strongly condemn this attack.
“As a profession and society, we cannot tolerate or excuse violence of any kind, in this instance against a judicial officer. The safety of judicial officers is of utmost concern to the Bar,” the statement added.
It stated that the safety of judicial officers is a fundamental prerequisite in the fearless administration and dispensation of justice; the maintenance of the independence of the judiciary and the upholding of the Rule of Law.
The GBA is urging the Guyana Police Force to exert all efforts to secure the immediate apprehension and prosecution of the offender responsible for the attack on Magistrate Hawke and his family; to introduce guards at the residence of magistrates, as done at the residence of Judges; to commence and continue regular mobile patrols at the residence of judicial personnel.
In addition, the GBA is urging the Executive to join in the condemnation of the attack; to introduce personal security as a fundamental condition in the hiring of judicial personnel at all levels; to support all efforts that will preserve the safety and security of all judicial officers; and to allocate sufficient financial resources, firstly to address the impacts of this attack and secondly, to ensure the provision of adequate security for all judicial officers.
They are also asking that the Judiciary to continue to dispense justice and uphold the rule of law without fear or favour; to defend against all threats to the independence of the judiciary; and to develop and implement guidelines and protocols for judicial security.
The GBA is calling on all members of the profession to condemn the attack and to continue to maintain and defend the foundations of the justice system.
“Let us all use our collective efforts to preserve the fundamentals of our justice system.”
Meanwhile, the police have promised that armed security personnel will be deployed at the homes of all magistrates and at the courts.
A statement from the Police Public Relations Department said that some of the security measures are to be implemented with immediate effect, while others will be implemented over time.
They include armed security at their residences and armed security at and the scanning/searching of persons entering the courts.
The decision was made recently following a meeting between the Magistrates’ Association of Guyana, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee and Commissioner of Police Henry Greene. The meeting was requested by the Magistrates’ Association following the brutal attack on Magistrate Nigel Hawke and his wife at their home at Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara.
The release stated that the meeting was convened by the Minister Rohee at the Ministry of Home Affairs and was attended Commissioner Greene and several other senior officers of the Police Force Administration and members of the Magistracy, including the acting Chief Magistrate Ms. Melissa Robertson.
On Monday morning, a man armed with an AK-47 assault rifle entered the home of Magistrate Hawke, tied him up and after a scuffle with Hawke’s wife, attorney at law Donette Hawke, escaped with a laptop computer, a digital camera, two cell phones and about $400,000 in cash and jewellery.
Up to press time, the suspect remained at large.

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Bar Association expresses concern

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