The Law Association of Trinidad & Tobago said in a media release Sunday Keith Rowley's statement last week on the extradition matter of businessmen Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson did not amount to contempt of court.
Rowley spoke about the matter at a news conference last week calling the quashing of the extradition order by a high court judge as blow to justice. he also suggested that there might have been political collusion and that Attorney General Anand Ramlogan got the verdict he expected.
That angered Ramlogan who wrote to the Chief Justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Law Association to complain that Rowley might have crossed the line. He also announced later in the week that he plans to sue the opposition leader of the remarks.
The Judiciary also condemned Rowley in a strongly worded statement stating that "the innuendos by the Leader of the Opposition of collusion between the judge and by extension, the Judiciary, and the Attorney General in the decision which was arrived at and handed down in the court".
While the law association said Rowley was not in contempt, the Council of the Law Association urged politicians "to be extremely careful" when making statements in relation to ongoing criminal proceedings and judgments of the courts.
It said, "in the light of the clear misunderstanding of these remarks and the ill-will they appeared to have generated...the Council urges Dr Rowley and politicians in general to be extremely careful as to the statements they choose to make in relation to ongoing criminal proceedings and judgments of the courts".
It said while comments on court decisions are permissible, "the public must seek to ensure that the administration of justice and the rule of law are protected and guarded".
It added, "It is important that the public should continue to have confidence in the complete impartiality of the judiciary and anything which seeks to undermine this must be condemned."
That angered Ramlogan who wrote to the Chief Justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Law Association to complain that Rowley might have crossed the line. He also announced later in the week that he plans to sue the opposition leader of the remarks.
The Judiciary also condemned Rowley in a strongly worded statement stating that "the innuendos by the Leader of the Opposition of collusion between the judge and by extension, the Judiciary, and the Attorney General in the decision which was arrived at and handed down in the court".
While the law association said Rowley was not in contempt, the Council of the Law Association urged politicians "to be extremely careful" when making statements in relation to ongoing criminal proceedings and judgments of the courts.
It said, "in the light of the clear misunderstanding of these remarks and the ill-will they appeared to have generated...the Council urges Dr Rowley and politicians in general to be extremely careful as to the statements they choose to make in relation to ongoing criminal proceedings and judgments of the courts".
It said while comments on court decisions are permissible, "the public must seek to ensure that the administration of justice and the rule of law are protected and guarded".
It added, "It is important that the public should continue to have confidence in the complete impartiality of the judiciary and anything which seeks to undermine this must be condemned."
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