P.M. will not intervene for now

Prime Minister Dean Barrow had a little fun with the Bar Association’s scolding of the press on Monday for what it called ‘sensationalizing’ its discussion of overdue court judgments on the part of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. It has decided not to take any action for now, as the Chief Justice has once again promised to deliver the overdue judgments during his vacation months from the Supreme Court. The Prime Minister advises the Governor General on the selection of the Chief Justice and is a Senior Counsel himself. He also has no love lost with the Bar Association, but he told reporters he does not feel it necessary to intervene.

Reporter

“Is it not a concern for judgments to be delayed for whatever period of time, given that litigants should have a fair chance of their matter being heard to time?”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“No, of course, and that’s why the Bar had the draft resolutions which came into your possession and which you published. And even though, from what I saw in your reporting, the Bar has agreed to give time for the delayed outstanding judgments to be completed, I think they repeated the fact that it is a matter of extreme concern, and it has to be for those litigants that have not had their judgments given and for the entire system. All I am saying to you is, I don’t feel there is any need for me to comment any further because it has all been said by the Bar Association.”