TT Chamber slams JTUM, Court

THE TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce chided the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) and the Industrial Court over the non-resolution of contempt of court allegations against the chamber. In a statement yesterday the chamber said the court’s discontinuation of its probe raised more questions than answers.

“While the TTCIC is relieved that good sense has prevailed in this matter, a number of burning issues remain unresolved. The business community has for a long time been expressing concern about the Court’s judgements, many of which they believe to have been arbitrary, unfair and irrational.”

It all began in 2016 when the chamber acted on those perceptions by holding a panel discussion at a breakfast meeting. In the talks, complaints of unfairness were levelled against the court some of whose rulings had hurt productivity..

After the event, JTUM in paid media adverts, accused the chamber and their panellists of a contempt of court. The court commanded chamber honchoes Gabriel Faria, Frank Mouttet and Derek Ali to appear before it and supply evidence for an inquiry into the allegations.

“In the months that followed, the chamber and the three gentlemen incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees preparing for a court’s inquiry.”

JTUM requested and were allowed to be a party to the inquiry, the chamber said, but after two years and eight months had not given any statement or evidence in support of their claim.

“The court’s August 7th order to discontinue the inquiry has, according to the court, resulted from JTUM’s failure to respond. This outcome has left the TTCIC even more dissatisfied with the court than it was before.”

The chamber raised several concerns.

“Should the court have the right to be judge and jury in a matter related to its own impartiality? Do we, as citizens have a right to voice our opinions on the operations of the institutions of our country?”

The court’s discontinuation of the inquiry has left this concern unresolved. “Where, for example, is the line drawn between freedom of expression and contempt?”

The chamber said, after the JTUM had successfully become a party to the court’s inquiry into the alleged contempt, JTUM had failed to respond to five requests from the court for submissions.

“The court’s inquiry has had both a financial and emotional strain on the affected parties.”

The chamber urged the court to hold JTUM liable for the cost, having failed to participate in a matter they had requested.