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One is an unfortunate error. Two is a cause for concern. But what do you call three mix-ups in the same case?
And if the High Court cannot get simple procedure right in a matter involving two of Trinidad and Tobago’s most eminent politicians, then what is left for the rest of us?
On Thursday, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan claimed a legal victory over Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley on the grounds that the latter failed to file a defence to Ramlogan’s defamation case against him.
As it turned out, Ramlogan was counting his chickens far too early. And the last thing he would want in this calypso season is to be seen fraternising with more farm animals.
In an email yesterday from Stacy Seemungal, Judicial Officer to Justice Seepersad, the court official stated that: “The Application and the Draft Order were then passed to Ms Pariag, a Judicial Support Officer attached to Justice Seepersad’s team to do the Order and inform the parties that the Order was granted.
“She inadvertently and without any direction from the Judge e-mailed the claimant (Ramlogan). She also sent an e-mail to the Claimant’s attorney at law, but failed to either call or inform the Defendant’s attorney at law (Al Rawi) of the terms of the Judge’s Order…In the circumstances there is no information on the (Ramlogan vs Rowley) file that indicates that the Defendant (Rowley) was informed of the Judges Order.”
As a court official herself, Mr Live Wire finds it odd that Seemungal would be so loose with language as to suggest Pariag’s error was “inadvertent.”
How can Seemungal truly know whether it was inadvertent or not? On this evidence, there seems to be more transparency and logic over eviction notices from Big Brother’s house than in High Court matters.
You see, according to Rowley’s attorney and PNM senator Faris Al-Rawi, there were three mistakes here not one.
(Courtesy Jyoti Communication)
First, there was a change of judges for the case without informing Rowley. Then, a 7 January 2015 deadline was given for Rowley to submit his defence. The High Court saw it fit to give that information to the AG but not to Rowley’s legal team, who are the ones that asked for the damn thing in the first place.
And, finally, the judgment—made without any communication with Rowley’s legal team—was sent via email to the AG’s legal team but not the defendant. Even Ravi Balgobin Maharaj got a copy!
In Mr Live Wire’s own four month stint as a defence attorney against ex-FIFA vice president, gift grabber and money re-router Jack Warner, all legal documents had to be copied and shared between the two parties. And the High Court would only communicate by mail to a Port of Spain address, which caused logistical issues since Live Wire lives and works in Arima.
So how the hell does the AG get court documents delivered to him by email?!
Justice is supposed to be blind. But, in Trinidad and Tobago, she peeps.
We would do well not to forget the gravity of the accusations made in the emails that Rowley read out in Parliament. They point to the darkest deeds being discussed at the very top of our country’s governance structure.
(Copyright AFP 2014/Frederic Dubray)
But how can we ever believe we have discovered the truth, one way or the other, when the High Court’s machinations look as sincere as a free-for-all in the WWF?
Trinidad and Tobago: A land where they shoot petty thieves and make big ones acting Prime Minister. And now where the supposedly impartial High Court swaps emails with the plaintiff while ignoring the defendant.
Live Wire can only assume that the AG has really gotten Rowley’s goat with this one. Pun intended.
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Alana, my heroine.
Lawyers routinely apply for extensions. And the court routinely responds. To the lawyers. Without anyone running them down for a reply. Having both worked for a lawyer and been a party in a matter that is before the court, that question doesn’t deserve an answer.
As far as I can see this man , the PM and PPP have they own Justice System , We are now operating with two Justice System in Trinidad and Tobago . But I tell you something ,it is the Almighty God who is exposing them slowly mistake after mistake
…Jason Holder can claim victory after SA blitzed WI by 148 runs today…he just managed to hold SA from breaking the world record for the highest team total in a One Day International..
Yeah Lasana, yuh big PNM, answer for your party! LOL
In d goat pen
Lasana, let me quote someone who is aware of this situation.
You applied in October for an extension, you got it. You didn’t file your defence. You applied in December for a further extension but you never check back with the court to see if it was granted. You didn’t even call the court to see if it was granted but he call himself a lawyer. Is it that the PNM need a good lawyer or they just cannot defend their lies. Can you answer this question please?
Just now checked out the “Clip of the week” (the Jack Warner spoof) on the top right of the Wired868 blog page. LOL, that’s really good. Made me laugh.
Good write Lasana.
there was a time when it was the victims who was calling for the return of the hangman but now we see criminal asking for it to return hope they hang he first
The AG image is not good right now. He has himself to blame.
Point is, their ardent supporters won’t demonstrate against their wrong doings and those who crossed party lines and assisted in putting them in power for whatever reason…legitimate or otherwise are too ashamed or are not man enough to admit that they made a mistake, demonstrate likewise, and move on…Big problem.
Always worth reading
For anyone who is interested, here is a refresher course on “emailgate”: http://wired868.com/2013/05/25/dynamic-or-desperate-the-opposition-leader-responds/
Excellent one Las. Yuh is ah boss. Lol
How soon we forget.
your article is unfortunately spoiled by some fundamental errors
You have to understand that the problem isn’t them, it’s us.
If you have a people comprising of individuals who won’t stand up for their country and others who would never dream of defying their political party the corruption of country at the hands of the ruling party is inevitable.
In Europe or even Asia there would have been mass demonstrations already.
This seems to be no secret, so what’s the delay?
How much longer will this man be left to run amok?
It’s not a new low. Something between mere rumor and truth has it that many years ago a consent judgement disappeared from a high court file and was never thereafter seen. It awarded tens of millions to one part of a prominent family, against another part a member of which was a judge. And talking about livestock, remember the Zookeeper? And Boyce? The chicken farmer?
Interesting piece as usual Lasana Liburd
It would seem that PR and damage control, or at least the attempt to are the only efficiently functioning parts of this administration. In the meantime, please keep all goats and chickens out of ahhhhhh……grasp.
He is the biggest CON MAN in Trinidad & Tobago and I predict he will end up worst than Anil.
I don’t believe lady justice in T&T is peeping. More believe she’s by the corner house being a good macco. Folks remember just the other day this same attorney general reminded Dr . Hodge that she was ‘handsomely paid’ by the government. I certainly believe that this court officer along with others have been bought. Justice is dead in T&T. They can monitor my comment.
Do you all now understand what we are dealing with? The word inadvertent should be replaced by unscrupulous -ly
“Murder she wrote” ….. Let’s talk bout assassination now with de same vigor na ???….. I doubt it but just asking.
AG ohhh my , I’m sure no one feels sorry for yuh , sum how , I hope this teaches us all lesson , lolzzzzzzz . N iz that .
Always proud to call him a friend Francis.
I know the AG is embarrassed at the outcome of all of this. He came out declaring victory yesterday thinking he can outsmart everyone.
Politician at such expert level are never embarassed. Easy enough to fool enough people to come out of it looking clean
Asha those were my very thoughts when I read this. Sometimes my cuz does really make me feel proud about him. This piece is but one example. If only his maternal grandfather and greatgrandmother were in a position to read his work I believe they too would also have been very proud of him.
Plenty quotable quotes in this one, Lasana Liburd.
“Justice is supposed to be blind. But, in Trinidad and Tobago, she peeps.”
” Trinidad and Tobago: A land where they shoot petty thieves and make big ones acting Prime Minister.”
Will leave “Live Wire can only assume that the AG has really gotten Rowley’s goat with this one. Pun intended” for Rhoda Bharath to comment on -)
Vernal, Lasana, I just love the smell of irony in the morning (with all apologies to Robert Duvall and Francis Ford Coppola).
Don’t be too hard on Ms Pariag ,she could have inadvertently done the incorrect thing. This is an xray of her brain
Good point Vernal Damion Cadogan
You wanna hear something ridiculous?
Emailgate put this government in real hot water, so what was their response?
More incriminating emails!
You know, Ravi has exposed himself on so many occasions, that readers on this blog should by now realize that he is aligned to a certain party and would do/say anything to discredit all others but the party to which he is aligned. If you reply to his ramblings it becomes a topic for discussion, if you ignore it, which is difficult to do because of the trash he spews (most times) he would be rambling to himself and probably replying to himself….that’s where ST ANNS and Minister Khan who like so send people to the said institution, come in….My father once told me “let the jack donkey bray”.
According to lime bud lol always a bias writer will die a biaswriter crik crak
They all need to be fired
Well said Kendall.
It would seem that if one were to fast for this administration one would be made privy to all sorts of information one has no right being privy to.
Time for me to make some screen shots oui………you never know when you would be summoned as a witness in a court of law!
And how did Ravi Balgobin Maharaj get a copy to share and make Anand look good when Rowley’s legal team didn’t?
It seems in it’s haste to discredit the opposition this government is not above acting in such a way that raises pertinent questions that discredit itself.
chicken coup, hahaha lmfao Jesus Christ OMG !!!
It beggars the imagination but I had no expectation that she would say otherwise. That would also have been inappropriate with an investigation.
It would be interesting to know how many emails and on what matters the individual in question sent to the AG.
Yes. That is true Vernal Damion Cadogan. It is not supposed to happen by email at all. But that is curious.
They had me driving up and down the highway to collect legal documents. Steups. Justice is blind? Not to yellow apparently.
This might be nothing eh, but how did Judicial Support Officer Mrs. Pariag get the claimant’s (Anand) email address to “inadvertently” send him that information?
I would have thought that the courts dealt directly with either party’s legal representation!
I find Stacy Seemungal’s explanation to be bizarre. She might as well give us the line about an “internal investigation.” How could she possibly say that sequence of events was “inadvertent?”
This is so bizarre, it’s hard to believe that it actually happened. I firmly believe in the adage “Never ascribe to malice that which can adequately be explained by incompetence.” However, nobody can be that stupid so often. Weep T&T because justice has died an ignoble death. We are truly lost.
Caught in Goat pen sounds more realistic.
Well, I honestly hope that Transparency International can have a look at what is happening in this country, because we cannot even trust the people at the top!