Dear Editor,

Permit me to briefly respond to the statements by the Attorney General contained in an article in the Stabroek News captioned ‘Poor work ethic among judges plagues criminal justice system’ (May 30).

It is not my custom to express views of this nature in the media.  The issues raised in the said article call for much more mature consideration and the letter column ought not to be the forum to ventilate same. However, I am compelled to respond to the statements by the Attorney General since they represent an unwarranted, untimely and premature criticism of the Judges of the High Court.

Instead of addressing the concerns raised by Justice George in her recent presentation during jail delivery, the Attorney General instead found himself engaging in what is now becoming a common occurrence, casting blame on the judges.

In doing so the Attorney General and by extension the present administration refuse to acknowledge that there are problems with the judiciary that must be addressed.

Rather, by blaming some members of the judiciary, the perception is that the administration’s hands are clean of any blame.

This is a frightening development that does not augur well for the administration of justice in this country. The said reality of the present justice system is that there is a severe shortage of judges.  This has been so for years.  Whereas there is an experiential increase in the number of cases both criminal and civil, the number of judges remains the same.

The two High Court Judges who are assigned to the current Demerara Criminal Sessions simply cannot hear all the cases scheduled to be heard.  It is impossible.  Further I know  these two judges hear civil cases simultaneously while presiding over the assizes.  What more can one ask of these judges?

It is sad indeed that the Attorney General sought to make such comments by way of a press release about members of the judiciary, when it is becoming increasingly clear that the administration’s interest in the judiciary in terms of providing the necessary resources both human and fiscal is declining.

Yours faithfully,
RN Poonai