Methodist Supernumerary Minister, the Reverend Dr. H. Clifton Niles, has stressed that the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court must operate like the Prophet Jeremiah of old when it comes to executing its work and the will of God.
The outspoken Anguillian Minister, who held various influential positions in the Caribbean region during his active service, was at the time delivering the homily at the opening of Law Year 2020 in Anguilla, as part of a sub-regional church service, in the eight other jurisdictions of the Court, on Monday, January 13.
He was substituting at St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in the absence from Anguilla of the Right Reverend, Errol Brooks. There, officials of the Governor’s Office, the Government of Anguilla, the Judicial Department and members of the Anguilla Bar Association attended the service.
“The Court must function like Jeremiah,” Rev. Dr. Niles stated. “Pluck up; pull down; destroy; overthrow those aspects of ‘the system’ which are enemies and barriers to human freedom, …and must plant those things that promote the highest good for the greatest numbers of people – thereby becoming more people oriented and less system oriented.”
He went on: “The system must be made to serve the people rather than the people being victims of a faulty and, dare I say, sometimes evil system. As I conclude, let me ask: Are you doing the will of God? Are you doing what God desires you to do?” Not long ago I got involved with a family – a conflict between a father and the son. The father wanted the son to enter the law profession. Why? Because the father said ‘there is where the money is’; and the son was saying ‘not for me’. The father was preparing to send him to school for as long as it would take for him to become a lawyer, but not to support him if he chose anything else…
“Whose desires are you carrying out when you do what you do? What is the ultimate motivation for doing the things you do in life – and in your profession? It is this sense I am summoned, I am called by a higher authority, by God’s authority, to become what I am. If not, you will become destroyers or parasites and not contributors to the divine will and purpose – and not contributors to humanity and the Kingdom of God.”
In addition to his above statements, Rev. Dr. Niles was responding to the theme of Law Year 2020: “A New Era for the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court: The Road to Achieving Court Excellence”. He asserted “that the sense that God wants us to do His will is critical if we are going to achieve excellence in anything.”
The Methodist Minister was assisted with the other portions of the service by the Reverend Raliville Christian, the Assistant Anglican Priest.
Meanwhile, it was the first time that the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court held its annual Law Year Church Service and Special Sitting in the month of January. This is normally done in September, but was moved to January to avoid the hurricane season.
