Gobin calls on CJ to say why justice system is failing

Justice Carol Gobin on Wednesday called on the justice system, and specifically Chief Justice Ivor Archie, to inform the public why it is failing them.

She also dubbed the magistracy "the abandoned child" of the judiciary and called for it to be "taken back into the fold."

Gobin was speaking at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CADV) at its office at Robinsonville, Belmont.

The theme of the event was: We Can All Make a Difference.

Gobin said it was not good enough that during the recent launch of the new law term, figures were announced which showed a decline in the clearance of cases, but no explanation was given for that decline.

She said Prof Rose Marie Belle Antoine, in her speech at the launch, dubbed the magistracy the "bastardised child" and had voiced similar queries to those she had raised years ago.

Gobin was also very vocal about the Chief Justice announcing statistics on all other arms of the judiciary except the magistracy.

She added that the CJ indicated that the statistics would also be available online. However, Gobin said, she found very little data there related to the magistrates' courts. The statistics shown for the disposition of matters, she said, offers data up to 2017/2018, but none for this period.

Gobin then presented statistics gathered through the police. She commended the willingness of the officer who provided the information, but said there was no data on whether any murders were related to matters pending before the courts.

She quoted figures which showed considerable percentage declines from previous years.

Gobin said she has never had a problem with speaking out on inequalities and injustices.

She said the question is often asked if magistrates/judges are allowed to speak out on these matters, and said it was a moral duty to do so.

"We must accept that the system has failed horribly," she said.

While, Gobin said there had been a number of laudable achievements in every area of justice, not much has changed at the magistrates' courts, except for the name.

She noted too that the CJ, in his speech at the opening of the law term, had agreed that the magistrates court offers its services to close to "95 per cent of society."

She said magistrates really want to make a difference, but the "system is against them." Though the figures quoted by the CJ showed a decline in the number of reports, Gobin queried if this could be because people were "losing faith in the system."

Describing the data as "disturbing," Gobin said the public should demand some explanation for the statistics and hold the judiciary accountable to address this demand.

Speaking on domestic violence and abuse, she lamented the absence of sitting magistrates for people to access protection orders or for matters to be heard.

CADV president Roberta Clarke called for a change in cultural norms, adding that government is at the heart of that change.

"The State is at the heart of doing better, to better protect and respond to persons in domestic violent situations and abuse," she said.