By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis questioned why Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis did not defend the Bahamian judiciary after another Caribbean leader slammed Bahamian judges.

During a CARICOM symposium on Tuesday in Trinidad and Tobago on crime and violence, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves lambasted Caribbean judges for granting bail to people charged with murder.

He said: “I saw in the numbers from The Bahamas. Where (do) those judges live? On Mars?”

Addressing the matter in the House of Assembly yesterday, Dr Minnis said: “Just at CARICOM, one of the prime ministers at the CARICOM meeting talked about the bail in The Bahamas and the crime and that particular individual stated that … the judges in The Bahamas issuing such bail (are) contributing to the crime.

“Yet the prime minister did not defend the judiciary here in our Bahamas. Regardless to how they feel, regardless to how I may feel, if he did (address it), it was not publicised. It was not publicised and I’m certain when (Mr Davis) speaks, (he) will address that for us.”

Yesterday, local attorney Bjorn Ferguson criticised Mr Gonsalves’ comments and said people should be more prudent when discussing the judiciary.

“For someone holding high office as Prime Minister, his comments are unacceptable and should be condemned,” he said. “They should not be supported, encouraged, or endorsed. The Bahamian judiciary and its judges deserve every protection from unwarranted criticism. Especially from foreign politicians who display a total disregard for our system.”

Mr Ferguson noted Mr Gonsalves was accused of raping a policewoman in 2008, a charge he was ultimately cleared of.

“The very same constitutional presumption of innocence that he relied on, that’s what these subjects of serious allegations rely on,” he said. “Also, he should have a look at the judges and what they did as it relates to a judicial review application when they refused to institute charges against him.” 

“Look at what his high judge did. So you just can’t allow them to criticize our judiciary (slackly). Our judges work extremely hard in very tough situations to hold our society together. I respect our judges and I think someone needs to be there to defend them and what they do. Unwarranted criticism, we should not accept that.”

Mr Ferguson stressed that each situation in which a person is granted bail is unique.