Judiciary staff 'prayer protest' continue

FOR a third day, Judiciary staff in Port of Spain held a morning-prayer session outside the Hall of Justice on Knox Street.

Over 30 workers, which included staff from various departments at the Supreme Court and the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court, lined the front of the Hall of Justice, linked hands and said a prayer.

The workers are protesting proposed restricting plans for the Judiciary, which they say will result in them being fired and contract workers taking their positions. Last week, they held a two-day “justice holiday” protest, staying away from their jobs.

This week, starting on Monday, they embarked on a morning prayers session. Next Monday, staff from the various court districts intend to hold a whole-day sit-in on the steps of the Hall of Justice.

The Judiciary, meanwhile, has rubbished claims of mass firing, saying public officers are being offered retraining.

In response to questions by Newsday, the Judiciary said it has embarked on transforming and improving the administrative structure of the organisation and, more recently, with the proclamation of the Criminal Division and District Criminal and Traffic Courts Act 12 of 2018 established the Criminal and Traffic Court Administration Department to improve the delivery of service to the public.

In a recent television interview, Court Executive Administrator Christie Ann Morris-Alleyne said the changes are the result of the combination of new legislation and initiatives to reduce the backlog of cases in the system.

In Port of Spain, the morning prayer-session had little effect on the operations at the Hall of Justice and the magistrates’ courts as courts continued to sit and members of the public were served.

At the magistrates’ court, scores of people received service from staff at the counter, while several courts were in session, even as some note-takers and other administrative staff stood with their colleagues holding hands in prayer over at the Hall of Justice.