AG: Courts not closed, more than 5,800 matters heard

ATTORNEY General Faris Al-Rawi has said that that the local courts are open and more than 5,800 matters have been heard.

He was responding to an urgent question in the Senate Tuesday from Opposition Senator Wade Mark.

He asked, in light of a request to the Chief Justice by the Assembly of Southern Lawyers, whether the AG could advise as to the time frame for the reopening of the courts of TT.

Al-Rawi replied: “First of all the question as posed is entirely wrong and a misrepresentation of the letter from the Assembly of Southern Lawyers which I have in my possession. They have never asked as to the reopening of courts because the courts are in fact open.”

He disclosed that more than 5,832 matters heard in the court for the period March 16-May 13, including 1,450 matters heard directly at prisons as a result of government’s drive to open courts in the prisons. He said he rejected Mark’s attempt to misconstrue the letter written by the group which was in fact not correct.

Mark asked when will courts be officially reopened for the public, lawyers and accused to go directly before judges and not virtually.

Al-Rawi said he was again astounded by the misrepresentation by Mark, and stressed the courts could not be closed and have 5,832 matters passing through them.

“This is just a gross misrepresentation of the position and I want to reject out of hand the attempt to make false allegations not only of the Assembly of Southern Lawyers but that the courts are closed. That is just not true.”