The Court of Appeal on Friday rejected a bid by the state to stay orders made by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George SC giving several aggrieved Seafield, West Coast Berbice rice farmers rights to their lands.
In addition to refusing the application by the Attorney-General (AG) and Mahaica- Mahaicony-Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) for a stay of the execution of the orders, Appellate Judge Dawn Gregory also awarded farmers respondents Philip Alexander Johnson, Rupert Blackman, Rawle Miller $50,000 each.
An overjoyed Johnson, who was in court when the ruling was made, said that he could finally move forward with his life. “I thank God that this case is over and we are able now to go back into the fields peacefully to do our farming, also some of the lease holders,” he said in an invited comment.
