Pressure continues to mount on T&T CJ
(Trinidad Guardian) Pressure is mounting on Chief Justice Ivor Archie to speak out on allegations being made against him.
A High Court judge has written to him saying he cannot stand by and remain silent about “the most significant threat to our institution in a very long time.”
“All is not well on Knox Street,” Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh said in an email dated December 15 to Archie, Justice Carol Gobin and judges of the Appeal Court and High Court.
A copy of the email has been obtained by Guardian Media. In it, Boodoosingh wrote that the Judiciary’s role in a democracy is bigger than any judge individually and collectively. When grave allegations are made, he said “we cannot just sit back and feel they will go away; that it could be business as usual.”
Boodoosingh said the Judiciary had been in continuous public focus and in recent months information was being made public with allegations that get more shocking.
He said like most judges, he had tried staying steadfast to his judicial oath to attend court, decide cases, contribute to the judiciary and “carry on with business as usual.” However, he warned that ten years from now “when the consequences of what we do now are still being felt, I will not stand accused of having been part of the Judiciary and remained silent on the most significant threat to our institution in a very long time.”
The serious allegations levelled against Archie include that he spoke to judges about changing their state security to private security and sought the intervention of the HDC to secure housing for a number of people. Archie has denied the former allegation but has admitted to seeking to get housing for individuals he deemed to be in need of such.
Boodoosingh referred to guidelines for judicial conduct which state that judges must not ask favours of others and must be “beholden to no one, only to our consciences and our judicial oath.” He said while they may have views on politics, social and moral issues, they have to be circumspect in who they express those views to and in what setting.
“There are permissible areas for public engagement,” he said.