PNM: Breaking from Privy Council is political maturity

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in Port of Spain.
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in Port of Spain.

TRINIDAD and Tobago breaking from the Privy Council as the final court of appeal will be evidence of this country's political maturity, says the People's National Movement (PNM).

The PNM in a Republic Day media release said there are still vestiges of that reliance on foreign institutions as part of our judicial infrastructure, and that in itself is a cause for us, after 42 years, to question the attainment of political maturity.

"As we have steadfastly done in the past, the PNM stands ready and willing to demonstrate that political maturity to end, once and for all, our reliance on the Privy Council as our final court of appeal. We call today on our colleagues in the Opposition to join us in making this possible in the shortest possible time."

The PNM said the move to Republicanism 42 years ago represented TT’s coming of age as an independent nation.

"It was a time when we could, at last, divest ourselves of the vestiges of our colonial past and truly revel in our confidence in ourselves as a people, that within us existed boundless hope in a destiny that would be characterised by political maturity, economic prosperity and social cohesiveness."

The PNM said for this commemoration we recall with pride the stewardship of two of this country’s greatest leaders, the founder of the PNM and first prime minister, Dr Eric Williams, and our first president, Sir Ellis Clarke.

"It was the foresight, integrity and determination of these two elder statesmen which saw us very ably navigate the transition from Independence to Republicanism."

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"PNM: Breaking from Privy Council is political maturity"

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