PM confirms reappointment of Justice Samuel Awich

Samuel Awich

The reappointment of Justice Samuel Awich has been opposed by the Opposition and the Bar Association which went as far as to issue a resolution saying it did not support the reappointment of the justice. His contract matured on May fifteenth, on the day he delivered a significant ruling of the cases involving the nationalization of Telemedia and B.E.L. and loans from British Caribbean Bank. The Bar is of the view that the timing of Awich’s reappointment may show bias. Today the Prime Minister confirmed that the Justice has been reappointed.

 Prime Minister Dean Barrow

Dean Barrow

“Number one, we had no obligation to consult the bar association. We had an obligation to consult the Leader of the Opposition who then in turn consulted the Bar Association, setting in motion to process that saw them actually issue a resolution. Then the Leader of the Opposition writes me to say this is the Bar Association’s position therefore I don’t concur. It strikes me that he is not discharging his constitutional duty. If he says look, here is what the Bar Association says and here is what I say as Leader of the Opposition and let me show you the extent to which my position is informed by position of the Bar. But simply to tell me what the Bar’s position is, he is failing in his constitutional responsibility. But coming to the Bar, and I said I had no obligation to consult them, look it is well known that there has been a historical problem between certain members of the Bar—I am not certain who all attended the meeting—certain elements of the leadership of the Bar and Mister Justice Awich. One of the complaints or one of the things flagged by the Bar Association resolution was the fact that we were proposing to renew the appointment after the last court judgment in which the leading decision was given by Justice Awich and the government won. Supposing we had given the extension o the contract before the decision came down, you would have heard that we did it as an inducement. We said, we would wait, let the judgment be over and done with and then we can proceed. They turn around and they still complain about that.”

The Justice’s new contract is for eight years when he will reach the age of seventy-five.