VENTOUR making a Mikey Mouse game of the deputy chairmanship? Sanctity of IC and JUDICIARY affronted by this unseemly situation...... But worse, Carmona did not respond to direct questions from Newsday and said the media would be briefed by Ventour who, when pressed, simply brushed the media aside. These are disappointing responses from a President who claimed, upon taking office, to want to do things differently and from a once former jurist. -------------- Wrong move Sunday, March 2 2014 IN THE MIDDLE of Carnival week, President Anthony Carmona on Thursday opted to re-appoint retired judge Justice Sebastian Ventour to the post of deputy chairman of the Integrity Commission. Ventour has previously been deputy chairman. He was appointed to that post in July 2013 and served in the post for seven months before this month stepping down. According to the Office of the President, Ventour resigned on February 6 in order to hand down three judgments which were outstanding. Ventour had apparently retired with these judgments still outstanding. In re-appointing Ventour, the Office of the President said the practice of a judge being brought out of retirement to hand down outstanding judgments was not unprecedented: had happened before. But the President himself, who is ultimately responsible for appointments to the Integrity Commission in his sole discretion, declined to take any questions on the issue. And there are many questions. In the first place, the issue is not whether the practice of bringing a judge out of retirement is unprecedented. Though it has taken place before, the practice is most certainly unsatisfactory, since it does not bode well either for the caseload of judges or their work ethic. However, the point here is not about practices within the Judiciary, but rather the unfortunate blurring of the lines between the Judiciary and the post of Integrity Commission member, specifically deputy chairman. Neither the President nor Justice Ventour last Thursday addressed the unseemly situation which has arisen here involving what has been described by some as a case of musical chairs. Here we have a body as important as the Integrity Commission, and an arm of the State as important as the Judiciary being treated as though they are revolving doors through which persons — no matter how eminently qualified or regarded — may flitter. The sanctity of both institutions are affronted by these events. Worse, according to the Office of the President Ventour resigned citing Section 4(5) of the Integrity in Public Life Act which prevents a person in public life from serving on the Commission. In the original legislation judges were listed as persons in public life. However, a High Court judge later removed judges from the net. Either way, it is clear that a judge — temporary or otherwise — could and should not be allowed to serve on any other State body given the role of the judge. However, while a conflict between roles was cited, Ventour refused to address questions over it. For instance, if he resigned citing a conflict between the role of judge and commissioner, to what extent was his time at the Commission compromised by any activities he may have had to do in order to bring about completion on his outstanding judgments? Why did Ventour accept the post on the Commission in the first place if work was due? Further, why did Ventour opt to join the Cabinet-appointed Constitution Reform Commission if he had work due? And even further why did Ventour initially refuse to keep the CRC post even after being made a member of the Integrity Commission. So many questions exist that the very judgment of the man is called into question. Yet amid so many unanswered questions, the President has opted to return the man to the Commission. Ventour on Thursday did not address any of these issues but simply told reporters, “Listen ladies and gentlemen, I think you should redirect the cameras. There are so many ills affecting Trinidad and Tobago at this point in time, you got to refocus. I am going back to the Integrity Commission at this time to continue a job I started and I hope your prayers are with me. No further comment”. With this, we cannot agree. In fact, Ventour — by failing to provide even a cursory explanation when questioned — has now appeared to have placed himself in a position where he can be accused of making a Mikey Mouse game of the deputy chairmanship. But worse, Carmona did not respond to direct questions from Newsday and said the media would be briefed by Ventour who, when pressed, simply brushed the media aside. These are disappointing responses from a President who claimed, upon taking office, to want to do things differently and from a once former jurist. newsday.co.tt/editorial/0,191403.html
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 00:48:32 +0000
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