Women's group speaks out against CoP's attack on Judiciary

A member of the three-woman committee formed to investigate former sport minister Darryl Smith was effectively told to mind her business, after she spoke out against Police Commissioner Gary Griffith and National Security Minister Stuart Young.

In a two-page media release, executive director of Women’s Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD) Folade Mutota, said the Judiciary should “robustly defend its integrity” against Griffith who recently sparred with the Law Association over his claims that there were attorneys engaging in criminal activities.

Mutota along with former permanent secretary and human resource expert Jacqueline Wilson and attorney Elaine Greene were appointed last year by the Prime Minister to look into the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Carrie-Ann Moreau, the then personal assistant to Smith. The committee’s report on Smith was later deemed “useless” as it allegedly breached the laws of natural justice.

In his response to Mutota’s release, Griffith said: “After being in a three-member committee, in a very heavily debated topic, one would have thought she would be more preoccupied on that. I guess this is a good diversion for her. So a one-woman advocate on alternate development, now becomes someone newsworthy to discuss bail.
“Some people know how to use the media to get their names printed in the news. So if a football team or a Carnival fête committee sends a media release on matters that have nothing to do with their field, I guess that would be considered newsworthy also. Anything for five minutes of fame I guess.”

In her release, Mutota said Griffith’s angst against a magistrate’s decision to grant bail to a teenager charged with possession of nine AR 15 rifles was based in inaccuracies.
“Accordingly, it is entirely false to suggest that this 19-year-old was charged with possession of nine AR15 assault rifles with 70 rounds per rifle as the Commissioner has been repeatedly suggesting in the public domain. The facts are that the young man charged was 19 years old and was arrested and detained in police custody for at least four days.

He was only charged and brought to court upon the intervention of his attorneys who filed a Habeas Corpus application.”
Responding to Mutota, Griffith said: “Heaven forbid, if one of those weapons seized, became the tool to injure or kill their loved one by those responsible for having it in their possession, then those who support such easy access to bail would be singing a different tune. As I said, some believe that the rights of criminals must have precedence over the rights of law-abiding citizens. I simply feel sorry for them.”

Mutota mentioned Minister Young in her release saying WINAD “has been following the story in the media as it relates to the Commissioner of Police and the Minister of National Security who have both stated that the Judiciary should assist in helping fight crime.”
She added that TT is a sovereign State which is governed by the principle of “separation of powers” and the Judiciary is not under the control of the Executive.

“Moreover, the Judiciary in order to maintain its independence and execute its function which is to apply and uphold the law, cannot be a rubber stamp for political propaganda, otherwise the public will lose whatever faith they may have in the system which provides for access to justice. Therefore, a statement calling for the Judiciary to assist the TT Police Service in its fight against crime is one that is clearly bereft of reason and ill-advised.”

In a media release, Minister Young said everyone has a role to play in the fight against crime including the Judiciary. He added that the Judiciary is not above commentary and is “certainly not constitutionally protected from fair comment. To suggest otherwise is very dangerous and wrong. In any event, I believe WINAD’s statement is misguided and misses the point in an attempt to stifle legitimate and permissible commentary.”