“It is hardly possible to build anything if frustration, bitterness, and a mood of helplessness prevail.” Lech Walesa, 1983 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. As a country, we are becoming more shameless. The scant regard that the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) staff displayed to Dr David Picou is galling. …
Read More »Daly Bread: Understanding legitimacy—the unnecessary brouhaha over SC appointments
When a public official who has undoubted legal power exercises that power, a question of the legitimacy of the exercise of that power can arise. Legitimacy concerns the exercise of legal power in a manner that is appropriate and justifiable and does not otherwise disturb the public conscience. Our governments …
Read More »Daly Bread: Ten thousand flowers bloom in panyards, but ole mas in Office of the AG
Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT) has provided quality coverage of this season’s Panorama competitions, particularly through the engagement of knowledgeable commentators. In the course of her closing remarks last Sunday morning when the medium and large band semi-finals concluded after midnight, Michelle Huggins-Watts, musicologist and formidable pan practitioner, commented on …
Read More »Defiant Warner suggests 3 more legal rounds, as Privy Council okays extradition of ex-FIFA VP
Trinidad and Tobago is now free to extradite former Fifa vice-president and Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner to face racketeering charges in the United States, after a ruling by the Privy Council in London today. Warner, 79, is likely to face up to 20 years in jail if convicted of …
Read More »Daly Bread: How Al Rawi’s machinations contributed to collapse of corruption case
One year ago I asked: “how are we holding Vincent Nelson, the disgraced British King’s Counsel to his bargain?” The bargain was a plea bargain made with the Director of Public Prosecutions (the DPP). Vincent Nelson pleaded guilty in a corruption case in which Anand Ramlogan SC, a former attorney …
Read More »Noble: How the cookie (nation) crumbles—Vincent, Vishesh and the cost of T&T’s failing institutions
The presentation and discussion of a national budget usually focus on competing ideas about the future of a country. The process is a statement about the development of the country. In 2020, Branko Milanovic, a reputed US economist, wrote, “the most important role economic policy can play now is to …
Read More »Vaneisa: Suffering for silence, with missing fireworks legislation and EMA inactivity
Nearly 80 per cent of the people responding to a survey done by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) said fireworks affected them negatively. Without knowing the extent of the survey, it is still a large and significant proportion. Another of their surveys said the majority of the animals affected (60 …
Read More »Daly Bread: Compromising due process of law is potential catalyst for wider social unrest
Public trust and confidence in the capacity of our country’s institutions and high offices to make full disclosure and to observe due process of law has again been shaken. Compromising due process is a potential catalyst for wider social unrest because of the way in which the authorities manipulate the …
Read More »Noble: The Public Service and norms—the case of the AG versus the CPC
God has a sense of humour. In 2017, Reginald Armour SC defended the Government in a Judicial Review case brought by a public servant seeking to establish the bounds of authority that the Prime Minister had on his ambassadorial posting. By 2019, in the Court of Appeal, he won with …
Read More »TTPS finds only damaged dustbin and cracked glass at AG’s bldg, after claims of bombs, shooting and ‘shattered glass’
The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has so far found no link between detonated firecrackers in a dustbin at the Parkade on the corner of Queen and Edward Streets in Port-of-Spain and an incident at the Office of the Attorney General on a hectic morning for law enforcement officers. …
Read More »Judiciary: Guardian report on ‘correction’ to Kangaloo report could undermine courts
“[…] As any seasoned attorney would know, however, this is of the nature of errors for which provision is made in the rules for simple correction by the Registrar. This was done. “[…] To suggest any nefarious intent or conspiracy is to seek to undermine the independence of the judiciary …
Read More »Daly Bread: Who is guarding the public interest, as public offices fall prey to political interference?
It is well known that in a functioning democracy checks and balances to guard against abuses of power are required in the public interest. In addition to the separation of the respective powers of the political executive (principally the Cabinet), the legislature and the judiciary, there are additional constitutional provisions …
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