Dear Editor,
I have been following the various views expressed in relation to the withdrawal of Silk from Timothy Jonas. I recall a similar occurrence which my late father, Benjamin Gibson, had to suffer and which can shed light on our understanding of the political process.
In 2002, the then Chancellor, Desiree Bernard informed my father that she had recommended him for Silk. She had also nominated, to my knowledge, Mursaline Bacchus. However, the then President, Bharrat Jagdeo, used his power and denied the recommendations. He did not want my father to have Silk – I assume because my father often fearlessly fought cases against the government and invariably won. Thus the decision by the President not to offer Silk was a political one. And if Benjamin Gibson could not get it, then neither could Mursaline Bacchus. (Mr. Bacchus has still not received the honour). I recall there was a flurry of activity around 2013 about the offering of Silk. – I assume there was a person or persons to whom the then government wanted to give such an honour; and note that their then Attorney-General did not have Silk and still does not. But the stumbling block to the awarding of Silk during the Jagdeo/Ramotar period was the Bar Association which held the view that Gibson must be a recipient if others are to receive such an honour. In 2013 my father’s office received a call from the then Chancellor’s office asking if he were a recipient of Silk and the office was told that he must not apply since they already had an application. Thus it appears that no one received Silk during the Jagdeo-Ramotar period due to the political stance against my father and other legal minds who did not find favour with the regime.
Offering Silk was resumed in 2015 with APNU/AFC attaining office. Some people thought that Gibson would have received the honour posthumously, but that did not happen. I assume the thinking is that since he was dead, they would be wasting the award – rather than looking at his contribution to law. In 2000, a Barbadian judge told me that in her opinion, Gibson was the best Administrative lawyer in the Caribbean. My fear at the moment is that so many people are being offered Silk, that very shortly it will lose its efficacy.
Decisions to confer awards are very often politically driven. Similarly, obtaining promotion in academe has been described as “walking through a mine-field.” I recall being denied promotion and told my father. His response, in his usual insightful and tight style, was: “It’s theirs to give.”
Yours faithfully,
Professor Kean Gibson
