Judicial attacks should be condemned

Mar 29, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

There is need for a more forceful and unequivocal condemnation of the recent statements by the leader of the opposition and his supporters attacking sitting judges of the courts in Guyana and the Caribbean.
On the 31st January 2019, Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane George decreed the no-confidence motion passed in the National Assembly on December 21, 2018 as valid. On Friday March 22, 2019, the Appeals court upheld an appeal by the Attorney General Basil Williams that the no confidence motion was invalid.
The responses from both the Government and opposition parties to the rulings leave lots to be desired admittedly. However, it’s the response from the leader opposition hours after the court’s ruling that is troubling and should worry all Guyanese. The opposition leader in a Facebook video release to the public stated, “We knew that there was a huge hurdle to overcome at the Appeals court …we have witness in the past maters of a particular political nature going against us…” to insinuate that the court is being bias because a decision goes against you, should be considered an attack of the judiciary. Personal attacks against judges and magistrates should never be condoned, since it could cause democracy to buckle.
It should be noted that similar statements were made days before the first ruling by Chief Justice Roxanne George and also when the courts would have upheld the president’s appointment of GECOM Chairman Justice James Patterson as constitutional. Mr. Jagdeo would have stated at a press conference, “This travesty in the ruling that we have seen by the Court will be overturned at the CCJ. If the CCJ doesn’t overturn that, it loses all of its credibility.”
Let me posit, there seems to be a real crisis of decency and respect for the rule of law within the ranks of the PPP leadership. Which has led to the party and its members becoming psychologically intolerant of any person or institution that doesn’t comply with its philosophy of governance.
It should be noted that there is a record of attempts to subvert the judiciary, which is well known. Former Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen was forced to resign, while Ms. Geeta Chandan-Edmond, Chandra Sohan, we’re fired from the bench.
If Guyana is to remain a nation of peace and ethnic tolerance, the judiciary should be protected from political and racial intimidation from politicians and their supporters. Threats directed to judges and magistrates should never be condoned in a democratic society.
We as Guyanese have a duty to defend our democracy from those who want to return us to a state of dictatorship and oppression through conspiracy and threats to judges.

Quency Sabastian

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