The executive and members of the Berbice Bar Association have condemned recent attacks aimed at Justice Sandra Kurtzious.
In a statement, the Association said the judge has been the subject of attacks because she correctly performed her duties as a sitting High Court judge when she recently granted a default judgment ordering Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo to pay former government minister Annette Ferguson $20 million, owing to his failure to file a defence on time in a libel action brought against him.
“The comments posted on social media and elsewhere have berated the honourable Judge and are abhorrent to the proper administration of justice and have no place in a democracy that embraces the independent character of our judiciary in our fragile democracy,” the Association said.
Against this background, the Association called on all right thinking civil organisations to raise their voices against the attacks in the strongest possible terms, warning that to remain silent is to be complicit. It also urged the Judiciary to stand up for the integrity of the judge.
The Association added that those persons criticising the judge should familiarise themselves with the Civil Procedure Rules. “The judge should not be blamed for complying with the Rules of Court. Her Honour had a duty to do so. She should be commended,” it added, while calling for a retraction of the criticism and an un-conditional apology to the judge.
The attorney for Jagdeo has since filed an urgent application seeking to set aside the default judgment in its entirety and also an order dismissing Ferguson’s “Statement of Claim for delay.” However, in the alternative, he is asking for an order allowing him to file his defence within seven days of the granting of his application, and extending the relevant case management timelines to allow him to “properly defend the claim.”
