Thank you for visiting WWW.BELGRAFIX.COM, "Grenada on the Internet, one byte at a time"

HOME	FEBRUARY 19th, 2005

Tell a friend about us

Tell a friend about us

A senior justice official in Grenada believes that if the lawyers' protest action against Jamaican barrister-at-law, Hugh Wildman continues for another week it can bring about an early closure to the February criminal assizes.

The official who preferred to remain anonymous told GRENADA TODAY on Tuesday that the high court has been sitting in the past two weeks but hearing only cases involving unrepresented persons.

He spoke of only a small number of cases being heard by resident judge, Guyanese Kenneth Benjamin. The Grenada Bar Association (GBA) has mounted a boycott of all courts in the wake of moves by government to appoint the controversial Wildman as the island's next Attorney-General.

The lawyers are not prepared to accept the appointment of Wildman on the grounds that over the years he has demonstrated too much "unprofessional" behaviour in and out of court. According to the official who is close to the court system, if the lawyers continue and maintain their protest action it can definitely affect the functioning of the court.

During the opening of the assizes, the lawyers through their President, Ruggles Ferguson notified the court of their decision to stage the boycott until government backs down on the Wildman issue. Ferguson later told reporters that the lawyers have also sought the understanding and co-operation of the court on behalf of their clients who might have pending matters.

This newspaper understands that a number of serious cases in particular those with boycotting lawyers, such as murder, rape robbery, and indecent assault among others are yet to be heard by Justice Benjamin. Court sources have said that these matters are the ones most likely to be affected by the boycott.

According to the official if accused persons who have legal representation express the wish to have their lawyer (s) present then it is more than likely that the matter will be adjourned to another date.

Speculation is rife that if the lawyers' protest action continues for a few more weeks that it could affect the upcoming sitting of the OECS Court of Appeal scheduled for Grenada from February 28 to March 4.