Letter: Trinidad judge calls for prisoners to hunger strike
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| Published on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 |
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Dear Sir:
I read with disbelief in the Trinidad Express newspaper, adverse comments made by High Court Judge, Herbert Volney against the Trinidad and Tobago goverment and went so far to advise remanded prisoners to go on a hunger strike in protest agains the criminal justice system in the twin island republic.
Justice Volney made the comment after he heard that there was an inordinate delay in prosecuting cases against accused persons, some of them pending for more than ten years since there were not enough prosecutors.
He added that the criminal justice system is scandalous and referred to the $2 million government spent on a national flag.
It is not the first time that the Dominican-born judge lashed out at the Patrick Manning administration. In April last he criticized the administration for not having enough prosecutors, but could have realized $20 million for a 45 minute cultural presentation to be witnessed by US President, Barak Obama, and Venezuelan Head of State, Hugo Chavez, among other world leaders during the fifth summit of the Americas earlier this year.
He was critical to the fact that money allocated for the judiciary was slashed considerably.
There is no doubt that the government should ensure that justice is dispense expeditiously and accused persons are tried as speedily as possible, but I am not sure whether judges should openly criticize the administration and moreover advise prisoners to resort to hunger strike action in protest of the delay.
A Liverpool Crown County Judge, Justice Trigger, has been hauled before the Judicial Complaints Committee for making adverse comments concerning foreigners while passing a two-year sentence on a Jamaican man who was found guilty of possession of marijuana.
The judge said, "People like you, and there are literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people lioke you, come to these shores, from foreign countries to avail themselves of the generous welfare benefits here."
He added that the government is wasting billions of pounds towards welfare payments for these foreigners.
The comments by Justice Trigger were severely criticised not only by members of the judiciary, but also the practising bar, and the public as a whole.
I have read from time to time comments made by judicial officers which I consider most unbecoming from persons who dispense justice. I recall a comment made by a Magistrate from St. Vincent and the Grenadines a few years ago who suggested that marijuana should be legalised.
The Magistrate made the remark in imposing a "slap on the wrist" penalty on someone who had pleaded guilty to being in possession of marijuana.
Oscar Ramjeet | | | | Reads : 698 | | | |
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