Walter Rodney’s brother to mount vigil today

Nov 21, 2019 News

…cites delay of date for appeal to 1982 conviction

Donald Rodney, brother of the late Dr. Walter Rodney, says he will be protesting in front of the Court of Appeal, Kingston, today.

A vigil today: Donald Rodney

This vigil would follow what Rodney said is delays in setting a date for an appeal for a case.
In a statement, he said that the vigil is calling for action for a date to be set for his appeal in the Court of Appeal to proceed. He is also calling for a thorough investigation into “the previous, unlawful High Court hearing purporting to dismiss my appeal.
The vigil will be held one day per week in the first instance.
“In connection with the above, I am also launching a ‘I am Walter Rodney” petition to be signed and submitted to the Court of Appeal Registry and the Chancellor.”
It was explained that on May 23, 2019, the Court of Appeal ordered an appeal against a 1982 conviction.
He was accused then of the possession of explosives.
Since May, despite the order of the Court of Appeal, a date has not been set for this.
“The latest position of the Court Registry, upon my enquiry, is that it is “not satisfied” with trial records in its possession,” Rodney explained in his statement yesterday.
“On October 14, 2019 I was promised that the Registry would “contact” me that day, or the following. To date, over a month later, there has been no such contact despite a letter to the senior registry officer pointing this out, and requesting a date to be set. This was the second letter to the Registry, as follow-up to previous visits, asking for a hearing date.”
Meanwhile, the statement also said that on May 23, 2019 the court also ordered that the High Court appeal hearing, purporting to dismiss Rodney’s appeal against the 1982 conviction, was unlawful for lack of jurisdiction.
“This is serious, since in addition to that unlawfulness, neither I nor a representing attorney-at-law were notified beforehand or present at the hearing. Yet two senior judges, in the presence of the prosecution, staged, effectively, a secret hearing and dismissal of my appeal.”
Rodney said that last year he wrote the Supreme Court Registrar, Sueanna Lovell, requesting the name(s) of those purporting to file his appeal, but without response.
“Thus no explanation has ever been offered by the court or the office of the DPP for this unlawful episode. This exposes a grave flaw in the judicial system of Guyana. It is against this background that I am mounting the vigil. I also attach a narrative written by me and circulated to “friends and supporters” of the Walter Rodney legacy.”

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News