Al-Rawi: Govt to file CJ sabbatical suit soon

GOVERNMENT will be ready to file its interpretation challenge to the Chief Justice’s attempted sabbatical/extended vacation leave in the High Court “any day now,” Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi has said.

Al-Rawi told reporters outside the Parliament yesterday evening that the necessary papers were nearly finished, with just certain affidavits requiring anecdotal and public information needing to be settled.

“We expect to be in a position to file in a couple of days. We were actually trying to meet a filing date of today,” he said. Last week at the post-Cabinet media briefing, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said he disagreed with former President Anthony Carmona’s decision to grant Chief Justice Ivor Archie sabbatical leave, since there was no precedent or regulation for it. When Archie changed his tack and declined a sabbatical, opting for a 35-week vacation instead, Rowley said he would challenge that too. Archie has since decided to take six weeks leave, for which he left on Monday.

“What we are doing is asking the Court for an interpretation to settle an issue in which there are differing views. This runs to the heart of constitutionality. We are talking about the Judiciary, which is independent, so you have to tread carefully. (Rowley) made the perfect decision in terms of taking this matter to the courts for ventilation,” Al-Rawi said.

Asked how long he expected the court to take to make a determination, Al-Rawi said it depends on how the relevant parties approach the matter. “Obviously the AG is a party, and the Judicial and Legal Services Commission is a reasonable party. Other people may wish to intervene. If the parties wish to have the matter expedited, it can be.”