Attorney General Says Former Chief Justice Made No Decision

Michael Peyrefitte

Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte was also asked whether an oral ruling handed down by former Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin is a non-decision as stated by the Prime Minister recently.  Peyrefitte says that the P.U.P. was consulted and knew the consequences of not renewing the CJ’s contract.

Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General

“A decision is a decision is a decision and no decision was made. I don’t want to out key members of the Opposition; if I have to I will, but for now I won’t. That same exact scenario was put to them when consideration was made to extend the Chief Justice’s contact. I put to them you realise if the Chief Justice’s contract is not renewed and he becomes functus as of this date, you realise and you accept that it is basic law that once he leaves whatever decisions he has not made, those cases will have to be retried. And the overwhelming response from the P.U.P. was ‘we noh care; we wah try them over.’ I noh forget and I know who I mi talk to. I noh wah call no names yet, but when I have to, I will. But they should do the honourable thing, which is a big ask of the P.U.P., they should do the honourable thing and admit that they were not aware of the consequences of agreeing to what they agreed to and they should just say look, we start the case over, which is what always happens whenever a judge becomes functus and they know that.”