“If the Chief Justice must accept defeat gracefully, it should have been done long ago. Grace is impossible at this point, and the judiciary is already far more impugned by the Chief Justice than merely his latest exchange with Justice Gobin. “The latter is merely a symptom of a far …
Read More »Crowne: Archie’s Kobayashi Maru; why Chief Justice should resign
Should the Chief Justice Resign? Yes, but not for the reasons you think. To date I have opposed the referral of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago’s (LATT’s) report to the Prime Minister and I have also supported the Prime Minister’s decision to not refer that report to President. …
Read More »Did the Prime Minister act fairly? Crowne explains why he backs Rowley on Archie issue
“The Prime Minister’s decision to refer, or not refer, allegations to the President—who in turn is constitutionally charged with appointing a tribunal to formally investigate such allegations—is itself an intrusion into judicial independence and the usual separation of powers. “To then have a Court review the Prime Minister’s exercise of …
Read More »Dear Editor: Warning on President’s Image is unconstitutional and threat to freedom of expression
“For the President to issue a Policy that restricts livestreaming, broadcasting and publication of her name and image without permission is a direct threat to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Unlike those constitutionally entrenched rights, there is no constitutional protection for the President’s name and image.” The …
Read More »Crowne: Copyright and the Privy Council; why AG’s wrong on Petrotrin complaint
The Privy Council decision in Maharaj v Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd, [2019] UKPC 21 (20 May 2019) has shone a Guaracara-esque spotlight onto Petrotrin’s decision to abandon its $97 million USD claim against Malcolm Jones. According to the Court, based on the evidence available to them, ‘there …
Read More »Crowne: Warrantless searches are illegal and Young’s defence is misleading
“In the context [of the police searches of homes in the Gulf View area, National Security Minister Stuart Young’s] words are, with respect, equivocal and misleading…” The following Letter to the Editor on recent warrantless searches by the Police Service was submitted to Wired868 by attorneys, Dr Emir Crowne, Matthew …
Read More »Crowne: Mas Confusion; videos or photos for personal use do not infringe copyright laws
Works of mas have come into the spotlight recently. In particular, the right to photograph, record or broadcast such works during Carnival. The Trinidad and Tobago Copyright Organisation (TTCO)—the collective management organisation (CMO) that claims responsibility for administering the copyright in ‘works of mas’—has suggested that photography, videography and/or broadcasting …
Read More »Crowne: ‘Naïve, outdated and self-serving!’ Taking aim at ban on advertising legal services
“The prohibition of advertising serves only to restrict the information that flows to consumers… Advertising is the traditional mechanism in a free market economy for a supplier to inform a potential purchaser of the availability and terms of exchange. “[…] In the absence of advertising, an attorney must rely on …
Read More »Crowne: TSTT is subject to FOI Laws; public can access information subject to exceptions
On 4 December 4 2018 the High Court held that TSTT was a ‘public authority’ under the Freedom of Information Act (the ‘Act’) and therefore subject to the Act’s access and disclosure provisions. Members of the public now have a general right to access TSTT’s official documents, with certain exceptions. …
Read More »Crowne: AG Al-Rawi curiously wrong in characterising ‘doxing Devant’
“Doxing, according to the AG, ‘is when you go out of your way to crash a system using certain truths’ which is ‘akin to a cybercrime’. With the greatest of respect, this is untrue. This is not what doxing is. “[…] In fact both the Interim Report and Report of …
Read More »Crowne: Archie, the Privy Council, the Law Association and the way forward…
“On 11 December, a Special General Meeting has been convened to […] ‘consider the report of the Committee established to look into the allegations made against the Honourable Chief Justice and to direct Council as to the next steps, if any, which should be taken’—including a possible referral to the …
Read More »Crowne: Suspension Unfair; airport official did his job with Moses and Robinson-Regis
“To paraphrase a former politician, once Minister [Dennis Moses] was opposed, he became a ‘raging bull’. It was shocking behaviour. “It was also inconsistent with how we would expect a Minister to act—let alone a Minister with such an international portfolio where diplomacy and tact are key. The Honourable Minister’s …
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