Chronicle’s
The Guyana Chronicle’s obscene calumny against Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh, over several months and getting worse, its contempt of court and the government’s intimidation of the judiciary have become deeply troubling. The Chancellor was publicly warned to go on pre-retirement leave and not to hear any ‘political’ cases. Suspicion was expressed that he would start a case and postpone it beyond his retirement date so as to seek to extend his term of office.
What is worse is that a lawyer, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who has responsibility for information and the power to stop the Chronicle since it started its disgraceful campaign several weeks ago, has allowed it to continue. The only conclusion is that the Chronicle’s rampage against the Chancellor, and subversion of the judiciary, is official government policy.
Then another lawyer, Minister Raphael Trotman, who also should know better, abandoned principle, joined the bandwagon and threatened that Cabinet will ‘note’ the Chancellor’s decisions. Minister Trotman twisted the intimidatory knife in an already suppurating wound and to what end ‒ send the message home? Make sure that the Chancellor is officially humiliated by a government official? Let him know that the Cabinet will be noting his behaviour? Well, the entire British government is aggrieved by the court’s decision that a parliamentary decision is required to trigger Brexit. It appealed, as the Guyana government should, when it loses. It is more dignified than whining and insulting.
‘Singh Strikes,’ screamed the Chronicle’s headline last Thursday. Straplines summarize the Chronicle’s complaints against the Chancellor’s decisions: ‘… throws out Jagdeo’s race baiting case; … nixes out-of-time appeal in Dipcon judgment: … AG signals move to CCJ, questions motive.’
From the report in the Chronicle, it appears that the first matter, which was a private criminal charge against Mr Bharrat Jagdeo, relating to alleged racial incitement, was thrown out by a High Court judge. The Attorney General, who had appeared as counsel, erroneously made himself the appellant in the appeal. At an earlier hearing the Deputy Solicitor General, Ms Prithima Kissoon, when questioned by the Court of Appeal, conceded that it was wrong for the Attorney General to be a party. The Chronicle relates that the Attorney General believes that the ‘move’ by the Deputy Solicitor General and the Chancellor is “a vain attempt to free Jagdeo of those cases.” If this is not a contempt of court, I don’t know what is.
The Chancellor, apparently acting with restraint and dignity, has not summoned the Chronicle and the Attorney General before the Court of Appeal to answer charges of contempt, as he ought to have done.
Ms Kissoon comes from a family whose extended members have been historically hostile to the PPP. Her father, Jai Kissoon, was a PNC government minister under the Hoyte administration and has not withdrawn his support from the PNCR. I do not know Ms Kissoon’s political views, if any. But I would be shocked if she would jeopardize her career to help Mr Jagdeo or the PPP. We must ask ourselves, therefore, what is the reason for the attack on Ms Kissoon?
The other case referred to is the Court of Appeal’s “refusal to allow an out of time appeal against a $446M judgement that was granted in favour of Dipcon