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  • 2 years ago
Chief Justice Ivor Archie is lobbying for more Autonomy.

He's speaking out against consistent attempts to micromanage the court's recruitment process.

Here's Urvashi Tiwari Roopnarine's report on Friday's opening of the new law term.
Transcript
00:00 It's the ceremonial opening of the law tomb and things are a bit different this time around,
00:07 starting with the location, the National Academy of the Performing Arts.
00:12 Dignitaries having arrived, the day's proceedings start off with a church service as customary.
00:19 Reverend Claude Barclay, Bishop of Trinidad and Tobago, calls it a new season of justice in TNT
00:26 and not just for the judiciary.
00:29 Every time we offend against another, we court the injustice for ourselves.
00:35 That's the principle.
00:37 And the downward moral spiral is exacerbated.
00:45 I do not think our nation is in that place,
00:50 but we have to be careful that we do not slip easily.
00:55 For the day of reckoning, he says, will surely come.
00:59 The murder of children, the murder rate in itself,
01:06 the assault of the elderly, the violence against women,
01:12 and any misuse of the budgetary allocation for unfair gain
01:19 or misuse of administrative processes is an offense against the people.
01:27 Whoever engages in this matter will feel the full brunt of it.
01:34 Early in his address, Chief Justice Ivor Archie explains the reason for changing the venue.
01:40 The Hall of Justice.
01:42 The bench and bar have grown to the point where the Convocation Hall
01:46 can no longer accommodate the increased numbers.
01:50 So I have had to designate this building as a court for today.
01:54 His is usually the first sitting of the court for the term.
01:58 However, sittings began as early as Monday, Budget Day, October 2.
02:04 Chief Justice Archie acknowledges the public's concerns over crime.
02:09 There are also new challenges.
02:11 When we last convened in 2019, the murder toll was 520.
02:18 This year, like in 2022, we are on course to surpass 600.
02:26 Understandably, there is much anxiety, and in that atmosphere,
02:30 public calls for more accountability are not misplaced.
02:35 He says his address provides a rare opportunity to share the judiciary's vision
02:40 and progress and offer insight into the systemic impediments to optimal service delivery.
02:47 Much of the misunderstanding among the public and other stakeholders
02:51 arises from a failure to understand the unique role of the judiciary as a separate arm of state
02:58 and the constraints that are placed on us by the lack of autonomy
03:03 over staffing and financial management.
03:07 The CJ says these frustrations are common in ministries and departments within the public service,
03:13 but senior officers aren't able to speak as freely as he can.
03:18 The structural and systemic deficiencies are crushing all of us,
03:24 and the time has come for major public sector reform.
03:29 However, Archie makes it clear his statements aren't an attack on the government,
03:34 as he shares a good relationship with them,
03:37 having had what he describes as a cordial meeting with a cabinet subcommittee just last week.
03:43 The Chief Justice highlights the transferring of clerks out of the registrar's department
03:49 and the bringing in of untrained individuals without regard for fitness of office
03:55 simply because it was time for a promotion.
03:58 There are these consistent attempts to micromanage our recruitment,
04:04 and there is behavior that frustrates our attempts.
04:08 More troubling is that some of our contract employees are being offered comparable positions in other public bodies,
04:15 sometimes at as much as twice the salary package.
04:19 To make matters even worse,
04:22 there are instances where salaries and allowances already set are subsequently reduced,
04:28 which further impacts our ability to recruit and retain well-qualified and suited applicants.
04:35 He says the judiciary needs a mix of permanent and contract workers,
04:40 but the registrar's department ought to function as a department of its own.
04:46 There has been a consistent attempt to shoehorn us into the mold of the central civil service,
04:52 of which we should not be a part.
04:56 I am aware of the fact that some people get their backs up
05:01 when we remind them about the separation of powers and the fact that we are not a part of the government,
05:08 but there is a reason for that constitutional structure.
05:13 Recapping the past term, CJ Archie reports determination at the High Court for civil matters
05:19 were up to 3,575 compared to 2,872 in the previous term.
05:27 For criminal matters at the High Court, there was a 95% clearance rate.
05:33 But it would be the recently formed Family Court,
05:37 which he says provides an insight into the state of society.
05:41 There has been a significant increase in filings since the opening of the Family Court in Princeton in July of 2021.
05:50 Whereas previous filings were in the range of 5,500 or so per year,
05:56 in 2022-23, we had 9,051 new filings,
06:03 of which 3,173 were domestic violence.
06:09 2,992 were divorces and 1,766 were maintenance.
06:15 Clearly, we have a social problem that needs attending to.
06:20 Archie says while they have not been hitting targets,
06:24 especially for domestic violence matters which can be life and death,
06:28 it is a human resource issue which can be solved with more appropriately trained staff.
06:34 Memorial Square was eventually abuzz with activity as the Chief Justice spent some time
06:40 inspecting the Honor Guard before bringing the day's proceedings to a close.
06:45 Varshi Tamwari, Rupnur Ain, TV6 News.
06:48 News.
06:48 (upbeat music)
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