Thursday, January 25, 2007

by Stephen Cummings
Caribbean Net News Trinidad and Tobago Correspondent
Email: stephen@caribbeannews.com

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Trinidad and Tobago's embattled Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma, Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Attorney General John Jeremie, as well as Acting Chief Justice Roger Hamel-Smith, are all set to take the witness stand in court in the ongoing controversy involving CJ Sharma, who has been accused of misconduct in public office.

This follows an application filed by Chief Justice Sharma, who is alleging that there was a political conspiracy to remove him from office.

Sharma stepped last year down from performing any judicial function after he was accused of interfereing in the outcome of a case involving former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday. The Chief Justice later filed for judicial review but lost his appeal to the Privy Council in London. However, in a new move in the Trinidad local court, he was given the opportunity by a High Court judge to have all parties connected to the case appear as witnesses.

The examination was ordered by Trinidad's Justice Carlton Best, and will take a five-day period, May 21 to 25. This is the first time a Prime Minister, his Attorney General and other top legal officers have been ordered to face cross-examination in the local courts.

Justice Best in his ruling last week said he made the order in the interest of fairness to Justice Sharma, who challenged a decision by the Prime Minister to advise the President to set up a tribunal to investigate whether (he) Sharma should be removed from office.

The State is also expected to file a response by next week Friday.

The case is being described as the biggest legal battle in the country's history involving the executive and members of the judiciary.

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