Dear Editor,
I am pleased to note that the Guyana Bar Association will continue to speak out when criticism moves beyond the boundary of fair comment and appears to impact on the perception of judicial independence. In effect it means that when judicial officers perform fairly it will be right to criticize them. But their “fair” or “fairly” is relative and depending on one’s perception it will be stifling to suggest that the officers ought not to be criticized.
The statement by the Office of the President cannot be faulted when it said that public criticisms follow action and decisions by public officials including judicial officers worldwide and the judiciary should not expect to be exempt.
Neither the judiciary, the Bar Association nor “alleged responsible” members of the community or even the press have uttered a word of condemnation when a certain correspondent keeps maligning, abusing and cussing down anyone who dares to disagree with his perverted comments based on hearsay which he seeks to justify as facts. But a more fundamental question arises for consideration. Must the Bar Associa-tion seek to “protect” only the Judiciary and judicial officers? Of course they consider it a duty since they appear before those officials in the courts and will seek to ingratiate themselves within that fold.
What about the duty to the public to seek to protect them from dishonest members of the Bar whose apparent intent and duty in life is to worship at the shrine of Mammon. Is it not true that a member of the practising Bar has been found guilty by the Practitioners Legal Committee of dishonesty and reported to the Supreme Court for appropriate action to be taken by the Full Court. Has the Court which is the repository of great principles of integrity and independence done anything to further the cause of justice to discipline this individual and give satisfaction to the poor litigant? And is the Bar Association ever so vigilant to maintain its high standard and see that no wrong is done, or is it a case when one of its own has defaulted the kith and kin policy will kick in and kick the much touted justice through the door? Is there not some talk about seeing justice being done even if the Heavens fall apart?
Yours faithfully,
Safdar Hussein
