(Trinidad Express) The Editors-in-Chief of the Express and the Guardian have given an undertaking to High Court Judge Mark Mohammed that steps will be taken to prevent potentially prejudicial statements, in relation to matters before the courts, from appearing on the blogs of their respective Internet sites.
In response, Mohammed described as “encouraging” the position adopted by the Express’s Omatie Lyder and the Guardian’s Judy Raymond.
The issue was raised last week by Wayne Sturge the attorney representing Jamaat-al-Muslimeen leader Imam Yasin Abu Bakr who is on trial before Mohammed in the Third Criminal Court in Port of Spain.
Bakr is charged with communicating a statement having seditious intention, two counts of inciting to demand with menaces with intent to steal and endeavouring to provoke a breach of the peace. The charges arose out of comments he made during an Eid-ul-Fitr sermon at the Mucurapo Road, St James mosque on November 4, 2005.
Sturge told the court last week that he was concerned about the possible adverse effect the comments of the bloggers could have on the fairness of the trial.
Mohammed said he also shared the same concern, not only in relation to the Bakr trial, but also in relation to other matters before the courts. Summonses were issued for Lyder and Raymond to attend court to discuss the issue. Both were represented yesterday by attorneys Faarees Hosein and Senior Counsel Gilbert Peterson respectively.
Hosein and Peterson said Lyder and Raymond have undertaken, in the interest of justice, to remove the ability for bloggers to post comments on stories involving matters before the courts.
Mohammed said he believes the assurances have been given in good faith. He said he did not want to convey the impression that the issue was a confrontational one.
Nine women have been sworn in to form the main panel to hear the evidence against 70-year-old Bakr. Three female alternate jurors have also been sworn and three more are being sought.
Potential jurors are being questioned by Sturge and lead attorney for the State, Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal.
Also appearing with Seetahal are attorneys Renuka Rambhajan and Shelly Ann Gajadhar while attorneys Viveka Pargass and Naveen Maharaj are also representing Bakr.
The trial continues today.
