In a shocking revelation during a sitting of the High Court on Wednesday it was discovered that the Denzil Douglas Administration had written a letter to the High Court Registrar indicating that the government would demand that Justice Francis Belle recuse himself from any legal challenge to its gerrymandering. This presumptuous missive was dispatched from Church Street more that a week before any legal action was even filed in relation to the threatened gerrymandering of the boundaries. In other words, the Denzil Douglas regime sought to put the High Court on notice that this government thinks that it is in charge there and can pick a judge according to its own liking.
This dangerous and arrogant assault on the independence of the legal system joins a troubling list of offences that includes willfully ignoring and defying an injunction and shamelessly maintaining a disgraced Attourney General in contempt of court to as the most senior legal advisor to the government. To add insult to injury it was this same Attourney General that was deputized by this Labour government to try to give orders to the High Court.
Thankfully Justice Belle was not amused despite declaring the government’s arguments laughable. He sternly lectured this Labour government about its proper place as a litigant like any other before the High Court and ensured that it was made clear that the judicial bench would not allow itself to be compromised.
It cannot be overstated just how disturbing the behaviour of the Denzil Douglas regime has become. The Prime Minister has already shown us that he can ignore the court, he has established a special security force just in time for the election that can be appointed at will and will be separate from established security forces, he is desperately trying to gerrymander the boundaries and refuses to call the election despite his democratic mandate being expired. Can we really risk seeing what he would be like if he can get away with this kind of conduct. What kind of message does it send when the most powerful among us declare their belief that law and justice for them should not be the same as for everyone else? Can an ordinary man shop for his own judge?
Prime Minister Douglas is telling us who he is and we should believe him. A man with no respect for the court or the rule of law; who acts like he is a law unto himself wants to be a ruler not a leader. Democracies DO NOT have rulers. It is time for CHANGE!
