Local Government Minister wants Appeal Judges “defrocked” over election petition ruling

In a statement on his Facebook page, Minister Dharamlall said "same two Judges who ruled that 33 is not the majority of 65. Their bias is obvious. They should be defrocked. Luckily, the Caribbean Court of Justice is our apex Court".

Local Government Minister wants Appeal Judges “defrocked” over election petition ruling

In an attack on the Judiciary and the Appeal Court’s ruling to establish jurisdiction to hear an election petition appeal, Minister of Local Government Nigel Dharamlall has issued a call for the Chancellor of the Judiciary and Appeal Justice Dawn Gregory to be fired over their decision.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Minister Dharamlall said “same two Judges who ruled that 33 is not the majority of 65. Their bias is obvious. They should be defrocked. Luckily, the Caribbean Court of Justice is our apex Court”.

The statement by the Government Minister has been criticised by Opposition Member of Parliament and Attorney in the election petition case, Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde.

Appearing on the Mark Benschop radio show last evening, Mr. Forde said he finds the statement by the Local Government Minister to be very offensive and insulting.

“It is unacceptable and he should immediately be removed as a Minister of Government and his colleague, Anil Nandlall (Attorney General) should publicly reprimand him and should publicly come out condemning the attack on the Judges of the Court of Appeal”, Senior Counsel Forde said.

He said the statement by the senior Government Minister has crossed the line and he should be condemned.

Mr. Forde also called for the other Attorneys involved in the matter to condemn the attack on the Appeal Court Judges.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Appeal Court by a 2-1 decision ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear the appeal challenging the dismissal of the Election Petition case by the Chief Justice on procedural grounds.

The Attorney General and the Attorney for the Vice President requested and got a stay of the judgment to allow them more time to study it and whether they will appeal at the level of the Caribbean Court of Justice.

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