Former High Court Judge Herbert Volney has apologised to the family of Jason Johnson. The issue has become a political hot potato for the former judge who quit his job and immediately won the nomination to run as a UNC candidate in the May 24 general election.
On Monday when he was delivering his maiden political speech a group of protesters interrupted him demanding an explanation about why he freed the accused, Brad Boyce, in the murder case.
He dismissed the protest as a PNM plan and promised to speak about the matter another time. The PNM has distanced itself from the protest, saying it was organised by the family of the victim.
Volney subsequently gave an interview to the Trinidad Express in which he explained that the reason he instructed the jury to return a not guilty verdict against the accused was because the cause of death was negligence at hospital.
He also noted that he was only one of the layers in justice system that freed Boyce.
Read the story: Volney explains his ruling in Brad Boyce case
Related story:PNM keeps heat on Volney on Boyce case
Speaking in an interview on TV6 television in Trinidad, Volney apologised to the Johnson family, saying he understands the hurt they feel.
"If I did make an error, and there are those who say I did, it was an honest error..I am sorry for the error," he stated.
However he stated that he acted based on the evidence before him and did what he considered the right thing in accordance with the law.
In making the apology he also urged the nation to move on. "I apologize...the way forward is to put Brad Boyce and Jason Johnson behind us...Let's move forward."
No comments:
Post a Comment