With the opening of Law Year 2015-2016 by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, in its nine jurisdictions, including Anguilla, the Court is to sit in its criminal jurisdiction in Anguilla, as from October 6, presided over by Madam Justice, Cheryl Mathurin.
According to the criminal list, the matters before the Court and Jury comprise the following: transferring criminal property and theft; three cases of indecent assault; a case of attempted buggery and buggery; possession of a controlled drug; possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply and wounding; false information; discharging of a firearm, possession of a firearm and attempted robbery; attempted robbery; attempted burglary and burglary; and sexual intercourse with a minor.
The opening of law year in the Anguilla jurisdiction began on Thursday, September 17, with the customary service at St. Mary’s Anglican Church in The Valley. There was an exchange of pulpits with Methodist Minister and Correctional Officer at Her Majesty’s Prison, Reverend Lindsay Richardson, delivering the sermon which focused on “The role of the Court and the Legal Profession in providing and promoting an efficient justice system”. He based his sermon on references from the books of Amos, The Psalms and the Acts of the Apostles.
In drawing the attention of the congregation – which included the Judge, other officials of the judiciary, lawyers and government officials – to the words of Amos and the Psalmist, the Methodist Minister stated: “[There is] a clear link between what seems to be the purview of the judiciary and that of the church: namely justice and righteousness. To put it simply: there can be no justice without righteousness, and there can be no righteousness without justice.”
The preacher continued: “There is a connection between righteousness and justice. There is a connection between right relations and justice. There is that connection because God, who is the author of righteousness, is also the author of justice. [Amos was told by God] go to the king, go to the princes of the land, go to the judges and the magistrates, go to the lawyers and the prosecutors, go to my people and tell them thus saith the Lord: Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream. The two cannot and must not be separated. The two are tied at the hip. No righteousness – no justice. Both must flow together from the palace, and from the Governor’s house; from the House of Assembly; from the interrogation room; the prosecutor’s office; the Magistrate’s Court and from the High Court. Both must flow together from their chambers through their doors into the streets; and both must flow together and wash the feet of the people – all the people – the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots; the educated and the uneducated; the social elite as well as the so-called nobody.”
Rev. Richardson went on: “An efficient justice system in Anguilla has to begin with the recognition that there is a connection between that which is just and that which is right. Every crime that is committed in this land deserves to be prosecuted and justice meted out to the perpetrator. If there is to be justice in our courts it means the process, which begins with the Royal Police Force, has to be right because, if it starts wrong, it puts unnecessary pressure on the court system to marry justice with that which is right and true. This is significant because every publicised case of a wrongful arrest and conviction is an insult to the system of justice in the land; and an indication that somewhere in the chain of justice is the link that is not right; a link that did not do right; a link that failed in its duty – not just to uphold law, but to uphold the right.”
He touched on a problem where justice seems to be slow in too many cases in Anguilla due to such factors as a lack of cooperation from the public and lack of evidence; where an accused may be innocent or may have actually committed the crime which cannot be proved. He added that justice would not only have been delayed, but denied.
Rev. Richardson had a word for families and all other persons in the community as follows: “The righteousness that is required for justice to flow down like waters in our land, is a righteousness that is not only required of our courts and legal professionals, but more so of our mothers and fathers, our brothers and sisters, our neighbours and friends, many of whom are in our pews every Sunday and Saturday morning.
“God isn’t just speaking to the police, lawyers, magistrates and judges. God is speaking to every last one of us in this land who refuse to cooperate, who shelter our children, who close our eyes to their wrongs while we benefit from their criminal activity.
“Be careful how we test God for God doesn’t like ugly. Ask Ananias and Sapphira.”
Rev. Richardson’s sermon provided much food for thought and was referred to by Justice Mathurin while presiding over the Court and awaiting the address by the Chief Justice, Madam Janice Pereira, via video simultcast from Grenada to all the member jurisdictions of the Court. There was also an address at the Anguilla High Court by Attorney General, Mr. Rupert Jones, followed later by addresses from Ms. Jean Dyer, the newly-elected President of the Anguilla Bar Association; and other members of the Bar.
Prior to the start of the proceedings, Justice Mathurin inspected a Guard of Honour, drawn up outside the Court, by a contingent from the Royal Anguilla Police Force accompanied by the Police/Community Band.
