On the midday radio programme “Just the Facts” on Monday, January 17, the Honourable Opposition Leader, Cora Richardson-Hodge, strongly criticised government officials for ignoring the opening of the 2022 New Law Year by not making themselves available to attend the virtual special sitting on Tuesday, January 11th.
It was her co-host, parliamentarian Evans McNeil Rogers, who initiated the criticism: “Over the years that I have been a parliamentarian,” he noted, “I have always been in governments where we would participate fully in the opening of the New Law Year.”
“We always showed our respect for the judicial arm of government by attending the opening ceremony,” Mr. Rogers said. “But I was taken aback, last Wednesday, to note that government officials were not present in the virtual Special Sitting but, instead, we were engaged with the Budget Debate.”
He said he was sure that, under the Financial Administration and Audit Act, government officials would have been required to give some “reverence and respect” to attending the New Law Year opening.
Mrs. Richardson-Hodge then weighed in with her criticism of the Government, saying: “I am always concerned about this government’s apparent lack of knowledge or understanding with regard to matters of this kind. Many people may not know that there are three branches of government, and the judicial is just as important as the legislative and executive.”
“The legislative and executive,” she stressed, “are controlled by the members of government. We have the executive which is the Executive Council, and there is the legislative which comprises the House of Assembly. The judicial arm works along with the legislative and executive arms. They must all work together to ensure that the laws are passed, and that the laws are enforced by the courts. The people are governed by such laws.”
She then related that she had written a letter to the Premier Webster, reminding him of the opening of the New Law Year ceremony, but that his response was disappointing: “When it came to my attention that the Budget Debate and the opening of the Law Year would be on the same day,” she said, “I wrote to the Speaker of the House and to the Premier, indicating to them that out of a matter of respect and courtesy, it should be considered that the debate be adjourned for a couple hours so that we can attend the presentation of the opening of the New Law Year by the Chief Justice.”
She said that the presentation by the Chief Justice is important because it sets the tone for what the court would be doing throughout the year. She mentioned that all of the same innovations and advancements that the Premier alluded to in the Budget take place through the judiciary arm of the government.
Mrs. Richardson-Hodge continued I n a tone of despondency: “So you would have thought that out of respect and recognition for the role of the judiciary, that this Government would have said, ‘OK, we will take a break from the Budget Debate. We will give due consideration to the address of the Chief Justice, and then we will resume with the Budget Debate.”’
“But, I don’t know what to say,” she said. “I received a response from the Premier that was not favourable. In fact, he made mention of the fact that I had requested a postponement prior, which had nothing to do with facilitating the 2022 New Law Year sitting.
“The postponement I requested earlier was in connection with the fact that I would have been off-island two weeks prior, and so I requested that the Budget Debate be scheduled for a date when I would have been back on island and available to attend the exercise in the House. That request had nothing to do with the opening of the 2022 Law Year. So, right away I wrote back to the Premier stating that particular point. But I never did receive any response from the Speaker of the House.
“And, of course, we were in the House [throughout the entire day on the 11th], and it was disappointing to me because my letter to the Speaker requesting time for us to attend the New Law Year opening was not even acknowledged. This is the type of regard that this Government seems to have for suggestions and recommendations, or proposals, that come from the Opposition. As long as it does not come from them, it is disregarded.”
Mrs.Richardson-Hodge mentioned that she was quite disappointed and dissatisfied, especially because she is of a legal mind. Besides, being a member of The Anguilla Bar Association, and the legal fraternity, she along with other members of the House of Assembly would have benefitted from being at the opening of the new Law Year sitting.
She noted that Anguilla, like all other member states in the region which are affiliated with the Caribbean Supreme Court, pays into the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. She stated that such payments are earmarked for the service of judges, for accommodation, upgrades of legal systems, etc., and therefore, out of courtesy, the members of the Government of Anguilla should have been part of the 2022 New Law Year meeting.
