INVESTIGATING THE INVESTIGATORS

The public has been gripped over the past few weeks by the evidence which has been emerging from the Commission of Inquiry (‘COI’) into the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger. The COI was announced on July 11 and Demerara Waves quoted parts of the Terms of Reference (‘TOR’): “The Commission will review all […]

ABSENCE DOES NOT MAKE THE HEART GROW FONDER

Being away for the past six weeks allowed me the luxury of leisurely contemplating Guyana from afar. The news emerging was not encouraging. The prison was burnt down and prisoners escaped; then more escaped from Lusignan. A disaster waiting to happen, it was said, but nothing of significance was done to prevent it. Perceptions of […]

MAKING THE SMALL MAN A REAL MAN

The collapse of the Palmyra foundation structure intended to support an Indian Arrival Monument to be unveiled on Arrival day was reported by the Stabroek News on April 27. Stabroek News had interviewed a Mr. Marlon Cumberbatch who said he was the supervisor of the construction company. He couldn’t say what caused the collapse but […]

WHEN SHOULD A JUDGE RECUSE HIMSELF OR HERSELF?

Professor Olowofoyeku, adopting a statement made by Justice Slade in 1955 said “adjudicators ought to avoid ‘the erroneous impression that it is more important that justice should appear to be done than that it should in fact be done.’” He also said that “it is essential to heed the exhortations of Kirby P. that ‘judges should resist being driven from their courts by the conduct or assertion of parties, including assertions of actual or imputed bias.’”

PUBLIC EXECUTIONS

One of the reasons behind public executions in the past and at present was and is to demonstrate the power of the State so that citizens would be duly intimidated. Public executions have largely disappeared. The growth of democracy has forced the development of more sophisticated methods of state intimidation, even though the gory spectacle […]