Don't touch Justice Narine, Deosaran warns JLSC

Independent Senator Ramesh Deosaran has cautioned the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) about taking any disciplinary action against Justice Rajendra Narine.

The judge is under attack from Attorney General John Jeremie for his decision to order the police commissioner and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to investigate an affidavit that reveals an alleged deal between Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr.

Justice Narine's his ruling earlier this month brought an angry response from Jeremie who told Parliament Narine was out of place since both the Court of Appeal and the Privy Council had ruled that Bakr's affidavit was irrelevant.

But he didn't refer to the Privy Council's remarks that if the contents of Bakr's affidavit were true then both he and Manning would be in violation of the country's ant-corruption laws.

Opposition MP Kamla Persad Bissessar has written the Speaker of the House of Representatives asking him to order Jeremie before the House disciplinary committee over the issue.

Read the story: Kamla demands that AG be sent to privileges committee

Deosaran noted that law reform and other changes to the judicial system must not be arbitrary, suggesting that they can come careful consideration and debate in Parliament.

The question that arises in this matter, he said, is whether the judge should have passed the affidavit for further investigation.

"The reputation of the PM, in terms of this accusation by Abu Bakr in the affidavit, is now before the public domain and I would wish that the matter be cleared up. I do not think that affidavit should be completely out of existence," the senator said.

"I say leave Justice Narine alone. Do not touch Justice Narine. I want the Judicial and Legal Services Commission to stay away from doing anything unfavourable to Justice Narine," he said.