00:00This is not an ordinary case. This is not something we can sweep under the carpet.
00:06This is not something that we can remain silent for a few days and it should go away.
00:14Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC says the Privy Council ruling in the case between former
00:19Chief Magistrate Marcia A. Caesar and the JLSC was clear. He says there is no legal framework
00:26which allowed the JLSC, headed by Chief Justice Ivor Argy, to give A. Caesar the option of
00:32resigning as a High Court judge and return to the magistracy or face disciplinary action.
00:38This is the Privy Council and the Court of Appeal telling the JLSC what you did,
00:44there was no basis in law for what you did.
00:49You didn't act on law, you acted on something else.
00:54You probably acted on the whims and fancies of individuals,
00:57but law didn't play any part in your decision.
01:02He says he cannot understand why this ruling has not yet prompted the resignation of the
01:07Chief Justice and encouraged other members of the then JLSC to come forward and speak
01:12out on what happened eight years ago. I took an oath to uphold the Constitution and the law
01:19and I cannot understand, for the life of me, I cannot understand
01:24that how can someone take an oath to uphold the Constitution of the law
01:32and something like this can happen and they can remain silent or they can remain in office
01:39or they can continue as if nothing happened.
01:42Miraj says judges need to be independent and have security of tenure
01:47as judges safeguard and enforce the rights of the public.
01:50On Thursday, he said attorneys have a duty to stand up and protect the independence of judges
01:57so that they can be fearless in the discharge of their duties to protect the public interest.
02:02I think a lot of attorneys think very strongly about the matter,
02:06and but as you know lawyers generally don't like to protest and Mr. Israel Khan should
02:12be congratulated for being very outspoken. There may be in the days coming a different
02:21kind of protest. Sometimes, even if a public officer decides to remain in office
02:28and should not remain in office, the way of judicial review has developed. I'm sure some
02:33lawyer in Trinidad and Tobago might decide to challenge that in the court.
02:37Cindy Raguban Tikasingh, TV6 News.
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