Appointment of temporary judges is a disservice to the justice system, Symister says, and the problem needs correction

Attorney-at-law Leon Chaku Symister is convinced that the appointment of temporary judges is an affront to the justice system in any country.

Due to a shortage of presiding officers in some jurisdictions, temporary judges are sometimes appointed for a short stint, with most of them having retired from active duty.

However, after they have served their tenure, the problem recurs, Symister says, with not enough judges to dispense with cases.

He says the insecurity of tenure could pose an issue for some short-term judges, and this needs to be seriously addressed.

Meanwhile, the High Court has ruled in favour of Wendel Robinson in an application made by Dr. David Dorsett. 

Dorsett was seeking to have the Court strike out “the constitutional component of [a] claim” filed by the former Commissioner of Police in his longstanding matter against the Police Service Commission.

However, the application to strike out was refused and the defendant ordered to pay costs in the sum of $750.

Symister says this “win” is a procedural matter and really has no significant bearing on the actual case.

The substantive matter is down for first hearing on July 12.