Andrew Marshalleck says appointments in judiciary are of concern

Andrew Marshalleck

Three persons are named in the Prime Minister’s release – Eamon Courtenay, Andrew Marshalleck and Jackie Marshalleck. But whether or not that was an attempt to get personal, Marshalleck remains unfazed, and focused on the real problem and the real message – which is that things need to change where appointments in the judiciary are concerned.

Andrew Marshalleck, Attorney

“If that was the intention in calling our names, it is not something that I want to participate in. I would prefer that we focus on the substance of the criticism which are really governance issues. They have to do with how the government treats with the courts and treats with appointment of judges to the courts. From our perspective, it is the way that the government treat with those appointments that give rise to any disrespect for the court. It is not our response to what they have done. We are obliged to say something about what they did. I mean it gives rise to such obvious concerns. You have a major decision in favour of the government and shortly afterwards, you have the reappointment of a judge and then you have another one being knighted. Now the judges aren’t responsible for their reappointments or the knighthoods. It is not their fault, it is not a reflection on the court; it is a reflection on the government and that is where our focus needs to be.”

Mike Rudon

“Is this all basically looking more to future appointments than actually looking at the case of Justice Awich because as the prime minister points out, it is a done deal?”

Andrew Marshalleck

“Indeed so; that is exactly correct. We need to move away from the way we’ve done things in the past; we need to recognize the shortfalls in doing things that way and we need to improve upon it. And that is the object of the entire exercise and all the commentary.”