Somebody calling a bluff!

De voice of division in SVG is sounding loud and clear over acceptance of de Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as our final Appellate Court. Lie-Za is saying dat actually de voice of division in SVG is loud over de Justice System here at home, and not so much de CCJ. Perception at times comes very close to reality. And den she asked me how ah expect her to accept CCJ, when here at home, since 2013, Honourable Daniel Cummings trying foh five years now, to get ah Court hearing in de matter way he got his spine damaged, when police dashed him and other Awe-position members of Par-liar-mint down de steps ah de House of Par-liar-mint. And wid regard to de Petitions, she is adamant dat ah new Go-venom-mint will be in office before the Petitions down foh hearing are heard, and even these down foh hearing will be superseded by ah fresh set ah petitions. What bothering her is she can’t get over de statement dat says “Everything got to come back to Papa.”

So at home we have been our greatest N’ME, our politicians, past and present, members of de fraternity are not widout fault. Set good example and de people will swallow it. But we got wuk to do.

People’s cases must be heard speedily, so dat anyone seeking Justice at ah Higher Level can so do. And if it becomes necessary to seek Justice at de Highest Level, den de system should not be found wanting.

And dis brings us to Justice at de Highest Level in de Caribbean Courts, de CCJ. Whether yuh have Faith or no Faith, Support or no Support foh our own CCJ, last week Friday’s Ceremonial Sitting celebrating the elevation to office of the Honourable Mr. Justice Adrian Saunders as the third President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, will go down in de History books as ah great day foh SVG.

Ah lickle Black Boy, born in Murray’s Village, Saint Vincent, has made it to de highest level in de Judiciary in de Caribbean, and who knows, very soon elsewhere. He came wid ah good track record.

Two officials at de ceremony made references to just two of his cases. One in which he made it clear dat de wife who mek she-self house maid is entitled to equal share of all ah de assets accumulated in dat marriage. Ah great judgment. And de second one is wid John Benjamin vs de Go-venom-mint of Anguilla, when de Go-venom-mint pulled John Benjamin’s talk-show program “Speak Your Mind” off de Air, because de Host (John) said dat ah US Lotto company was operating illegally in Anguilla. Justice Saunders ruled in favour of Benjamin in de High Court, But de High Court of Appeal dat comprised Justices Singh, Redhead and Matthew threw out Saunders’ Judgment. Benjamin, like Sir James, headed foh de Privy Council, who overturned de Court of Appeal and ruled in favour of Saunders’ original Judgment. So Benjamin and Justice won.

As ah Caribbean man ah have Faith in our people and we must give de CCJ ah chance to prove itself. Doh tell me dat we doh have we own Jurists capable of administering Fair Judgment? Non-cents!.

But Lie-Za is holding on to de Come-Red’s previous unfair-foh-able pronouncements on de CCJ. She say de Come-Red bluffing Fry-dey. He believes dat de NDP, wid Sir James totally opposed to de CCJ… sorry… totally hooked on de Privy Council, will not support any motion in favour of de CCJ. She will be most surprised when de Come-Red table de Motion to get ah two-thirds majority in de House to replace de Privy Council wid de CCJ. So she is calling on Fry-dey to table dat Motion in de House. And expect de Go-venom-mint to come up wid ah technicality, and move ah Counter Motion to reverse de Motion as dey did in de No Confidence Vote. Sometimes ah really can’t help but love dat Lie-Za. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy .

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.