Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 23/Oct 18:30

LATT: CJ appointment consultation process not followed

THE Law Association of TT (LATT) says, based on the information surrounding the appointment of Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh as Chief Justice of TT, it cannot conclude that a reasonable process of consultation was done before the substantive appointment was made. In a statement on October 23, the association congratulated Boodoosingh on his appointment and commended the choice. However, it said it took note of the “hastened and truncated process which led to his appointment.” LATT said Section 102 of the Constitution required the President to consult with the prime minister and leader of the opposition regarding the appointment of a chief justice. It said, based on settled principles, the President must inform the people he must consult with about his proposed candidate or candidates and the reasons supporting his preliminary choice. It said the consultation should take place at a point in time where the President had not yet made up his mind. It said adequate time should be given for consideration for consideration of the President’s proposal and for a response, and that the President should give conscientious consideration to the consultee’s response before making his decision. “Given the extraordinarily short period of time over which ‘consultation’ occurred in this instance, it is highly unlikely that any of these settled principles was satisfied. “It is of utmost importance that an appointment to the highest office in our Judiciary is grounded in transparency and in accordance with the parameters of our Constitution. “While we appreciate the unexpected timing of the then sitting chief justice’s resignation, we are equally satisfied that the appointment to fill the vacancy demands proper and reasonable consultation by all relevant stakeholders as prescribed by the Constitution. “Unfortunately, the information we have at this time does not allow us to conclude that a reasonable process of consultation was undertaken before making a substantive appointment.” LATT said despite this, it was confident in Boodoosingh’s ability to lead the judiciary. “We wish him every success during what we anticipate shall be an exceptionally productive and visionary tenure. The LATT looks forward to meaningful collaborations with our newly appointed Chief Justice to address the issues that confront our judicial system.” The association noted the tremendous contribution which Boodoosingh had made to the jurisprudence of TT and acknowledged his dedicated service in education as a lecturer at the Hugh Wooding Law School. “We also take the opportunity to express our gratitude to outgoing chief justice, the Justice Ivor Archie ORTT, for his commitment to the people of TT during his tenure and extend our best wishes on his future endeavours.” The post LATT: CJ appointment consultation process not followed appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.