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By Kimone Witter
Attorney Bert Samuels says the president of the Judicial Committee of the UK based Privy Council, Lord Reed appears to be on a mission to have Jamaica retain the Privy Council as its final appellate court.
Addressing a distinguished lecture series hosted by the Faculty of Law at the University of the West Indies, Mona, on Wednesday, Lord Reed suggested that the British government should ask senior judges from other countries served by the Privy Council to sit with them and hear cases.
It comes as discussions take place in Jamaica on whether the country should adopt the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final appellate court.
Among the arguments is the view that judges in the United Kingdom are not familiar with the identity, culture and norms of the Jamaican people.
For Mr. Samuels, who supports the CCJ, this is sufficient reason for Jamaica to leave the Privy Council.
"You know, I take deep issue with Reed's position that we should keep his court. It's not a Jamaican court. It's not staffed by people that look like us. And there are times when they give decisions that I'm totally opposed to," he contended Friday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106.
Lord Reed said if the Privy Council has the benefit of the opinions of a judge with direct experience of local conditions, it can only enhance the quality of the committee's decision-making.
Justice...from anywhere
But King's Counsel Valerie Neita-Robertson has said she is only concerned with Jamaicans getting justice in the courts whether it is through the Privy Council or elsewhere.
Mrs. Neita-Robertson believes that the Jamaican courts have been failing in this regard.
"I've been practicing law for 47 years. Have we gotten on our own feet? You want me to go through the number of cases that the Privy Council has had to overturn based on very simple principles of law? Would you like me to do that? It would take a whole day," she argued.
While she appeared to prefer retaining the Privy Council, the attorney made it clear she does not support colonialism, insisting: "We are governing our country. And if they want to go republic, that's fine with me. But at this stage, where I am now, I only want to justice to be delivered."
Mrs. Neita-Robertson was also speaking on the Morning Agenda.
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