Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 04:34

Beckles hails CJ Archie for transforming judiciary

OPPOSITION Leader Pennelope Beckles praised outgoing Chief Justice Ivor Archie for helping transform operations of the Judiciary, in her immediate reaction to his announcing his retirement during his speech for the 2025/2026 ceremonial opening of the new law term at the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain on September 16. Beckles hailed Archie as transformative and consultative. "He has brought some clarity to those who had some concerns; that he is going to retire as distinct from resign." She said Archie had given a good analysis of his roughly 17 years on the bench, plus a good update on what was happening in the Judiciary regarding the backlog of court cases. "So I was quite happy to hear a lot of the information that he provided." Asked if she was glad that many improvement to the Judiciary's facilities and staffing had occurred under the former PNM government, in which she had served, Beckles said, "Well, I think one of the most important things is always the issue of consultations which is what he spoke about. " She added that people were always concerned about the question of the independence of the Judiciary, the executive and the legislature. "But we recognise that when you provide data as it relates to the performance of the courts and the challenges the courts face, it is very important for the executive to be aware of that and find mechanisms where you can speak in the interest of justice for the entire country." In this regard she hailed the work of two former attorneys general, Reginald Armour and Faris Al-Rawi. "They were the two ones who played a very critical role in terms of the changes that took place and a lot of it really had to do with consultations. "I think for the public it is important to know that consultations are important. For example, when he (Archie) spoke about the prime minister's recommendation as it relates to the Lord Chancellor and he made some comparisons to Guyana and Britain, he believed that one of the important things, if you are going to make a decision like that, is the issue of consultations is important." The Arima MP hailed the work of former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley, along with his two AGs, in helping to improve the Judiciary, in his two terms of office. Beckles noted the expansion in the number of law courts plus the post-covid running of a hybrid system of courts that included both online courts and in-person courts. "Clearly, when you look at the data that has been presented today, it is really I think to the credit that a number of these difficult decisions were made during that period 2015-2015." Newsday asked what would be Archie's legacy. "I think transformation of the courts. And clearly presenting the kind of data, as he said he understands that the concerns of the public are legitimate. In other words, he is recognising that people do have reason to complain but it is a work in progress. "It is a question of attracting judges. It is a question of ensuring that those who you want to come and serve, who have the kind of experience, how can you attract them?" Beckles said being a good attorney did not automatically mean being a good judge. "He spoke about the fact that you can put up a system – for example at the jail – where you can do certain matters and deal with matters there, and indicating he recognises there may still be challenges existing for the police service. "So you realise that for things to go smoothly, it is a question of the public, it is a question of the multi disciplinary ministries that you interact with whether the AG or DPP's department. "So we understand that for the system to work as smoothly as we would like, it is really a question of co-operation, consultation and collaboration, if it is the public is to have that confidence in the Judiciary." The post Beckles hails CJ Archie for transforming judiciary appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.