For some time now, I have held the view that judges and magistrates SHOULD declare their assets, incomes etc before the Integrity Commission. Why? Patrick Jagessar is but one example; I would even go so far as to include ALL lawyers in this.
There are too many examples of corruption and bribery/graft to even think of an exemption.
But one judge has gone so far to protect her interest: Justice Judith Jones has ruled in a 97 page document why judges should be exempt. But there is NO REASON why they should be. Judges have fixed income from the state, and their financial investments can and should be monitored... discrepancies would have to be accounted for. Now judges have said: We are above the law!
There are too many examples of corruption and bribery/graft to even think of an exemption.
But one judge has gone so far to protect her interest: Justice Judith Jones has ruled in a 97 page document why judges should be exempt. But there is NO REASON why they should be. Judges have fixed income from the state, and their financial investments can and should be monitored... discrepancies would have to be accounted for. Now judges have said: We are above the law!
HENDRICKSON SEUNATH SC, the Vice-President of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago, said yesterday he was not a supporter of judges and magistrates being exempt from having their assets declared under Integrity legislation...
Seunath said judges should be made to declare their assets because of the need for them to remain accountable to the public.
“Personally I do not see anything wrong with it. That is my personal view.”
He suggested that judges need to be accountable because of public perception in the country
“It is because of the society in which we live. People make accusations and so on.
There seems to me to be no valid reason why judges should be exempt (from declaring). The average man in the street would ask ‘what is it you would want to hide?’,” he said.
Exactly so... what do you judges have to hide? Or are you afraid of being caught like Shermie, in dodgy lands deals?
Judges are public servants, and even as they dispense justice, they should follow both the letter and the spirit of the law.
Judges are public servants, and even as they dispense justice, they should follow both the letter and the spirit of the law.
"I think accountability is something that we are seeing today across the board, perhaps it is in that light that the judges were made subject to the provisions of the integrity legislation in the first place."
