Said Musa expresses discontent with reappointment of Justice Awich

Dean Barrow

The reappointment of Justice Samuel Awich to the bench of the Court of Appeal has been opposed by the Opposition and by the Bar Association which passed a resolution by consensus saying it had the appearance of bias because it came on the heels of a recent decision handed down in favor of the Government in the case of the nationalization of B.T.L. and B.E.L.  Concerns have also been raised that Awich, in his former capacity as Chief Justice, presided over the matter in the Supreme Court. This morning during the sitting of the House of Representatives, Fort George area representative and erstwhile prime minister Said Musa, expressed discontent with the decision taken by the Barrow administration.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“Everything was done properly with respect to the two-year the appointment of Mister Justice Awich. He was fit and proper, be off with you. So that matter was ventilated, went to the highest court in this jurisdiction and appointment was vindicated. Now comes time for renewal. The man has, in terms of all that we can see, performed well, discharged his duty ably in the first two years—bearing in mind that it is desirably not to have these short term appointments if you can do better—we decided to give him up until he is seventy-five. There can then be no question of any lack of security of tenure. So the very thing that you want to make sure does not become a mischief has been dealt with in this case. The Supreme Court, the Leader of the Opposition knows, the Chief Justice supported by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission—on which sits the said same Eamon Courtney, to whom the Leader of the Opposition runs every time he is consulted on what should be his view on an appointment—that Judicial and Legal Services Commission asked me to approve the appointment of a Madame Justice Oliveti against somebody who had retired, whom the Chief Justice felt could help us, but said that I can only come for a year. What is wrong with that?”

We’ll have more from the House meeting later in the newscast.