Sedi ‘noh ready’ for C.C.J., says Eamon

Wilfred Elrington

Another issue Courtenay addressed today relate to comments made by Elrington in a News Five interview on November twenty-eighth in Belmopan, following a Cabinet meeting. The Caribbean Court of Justice made a series of rulings against the Government in the settlement of Universal Health Services and Belize Telemedia. There was also one against Elrington personally in the case of Progresso Heights Limited, where he was ordered to fund the cost of land titles lost by the Ministry of Natural Resources for a company of which he was a shareholder and attorney. Despite being bound to honor the judgment, Elrington, formerly a supporter of the C.C.J., declared his disappointment that Belize signed on to its jurisdiction and suggested that Courtenay had the most contact with that court, both professionally and socially. Courtenay agrees with the former but not the latter, nor the imputation of influence it suggests. He also stated that during the Progresso Heights case, Elrington, who represented himself, was no hit with the judges in Port-of-Spain.

Eamon Courtenay, P.U.P. Senator

Eamon Courtenay

“He suggested very clearly that I socialize with the judges in the CCJ and therefore he implied that that is why they ruled in my favor. That is scandalous, it is contemptuous, and it is untrue. Dennys Barrow is the only judge in the CCJ who is a personal friend of mine, And Dennys Barrow and I have been friends since God made morning. And Dennys Barrow has not sat on any case that I have had in the CCJ. II have come to know and meet these other judges at conferences or going to court or whatever but these people are not people that I socialize with, so Mr. Elrington is a liar. But what is worse he is maligning the reputation of these judges. These are gentlemen and ladies who have distinguished themselves over the years in the practice of law and in judicial service. And to suggest that they rule in favor of somebody because they socialize with that person is insulting, it is disgusting and it is below Mr. Elrington who was a former Attorney General of this country. He was a former temporary Justice of the Supreme Court; he likes to remind everyone of that. They were not hostile to him. What Mr. Elrington doesn’t understand because this is the first time, very first time he was every in a final appellate court. He has never been to the Privy Council and this is the only time he has been to the CCJ. Yes?

Aaron Humes

“Whereas as he pointed out you have had multiple cases before the CCJ so you have him out there in terms of experience.

Eamon Courtenay

“If he wanted to be honest for a second he would have said that I am the lawyer that has appeared from Belize that has appeared in the Privy Council more than any. I am the lawyer form Belize that has appeared in the CCJ more than any. He hasn’t and he is not ready for Prime time, when you are appearing in the final appellate court, nobody gives you time to read. It is constant questioning and testing your case. He couldn’t it and said that they were being hostile to him, Mr. Elrington stay away you are just not ready for it.”