It has long been recognized that the judiciary and its decisions are not and should not be immune from criticisms. It’s quite a different matter to attribute motives to the judiciary that can be construed as improper, such as failing to consider or to implement executive policy. Two contrasting approaches were displayed recently by Mr. Aubrey Heath-Retemyer, Deputy Director of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan.
Mr. Heath-Retemyer, in an interview with Kaieteur News, published on June 22, accused the judiciary of resisting the government’s drive to reduce corruption because it is not willing to facilitate SOCU [the Special Organised Crime Unit] or SARA. He said that there is a “stark disconnection between the judiciary and the thirst of the nation for an end to corruption… I feel that sometimes the legal system here… doesn’t want to be in step with the honest desire of the law enforcement people (like SOCU) to ensure that they get the job done. I feel that if there was a greater sense of urgency and understanding on the part of the legal people and the system, they would be more willing to facilitate what SOCU or SARA would be doing.”
