TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
Bahamas Blog International
Bahamas Blog International


The Judicial Committee of Her Majesty’s Privy Council, the Final Appellate Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas - At Work in The Islands Again
Related to country: Bahamas

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Privy Council Sitting In Bahamas For Second Time -
By TOSHEENA ROBINSON-BLAIR:
Nassau, Bahamas:


With much pomp and pageantry, the country on Monday welcomed the U.K.-based Privy Council to The Bahamas before the law lords got down to the business of hearing the first case – a murder appeal – on their agenda while here.

On Monday, the Judicial Committee dealt with murder convict Quincy Todd’s appeal of his conviction. The delay in appeal was a result of Todd’s difficulty to obtain legal representation.

Todd was found guilty of the 1994 murder of Venette Bellizaire.

He was convicted on February 23, 1998 of the murder of the young Haitian woman and sentenced to death. It is reported that he picked up Bellizaire from a bus stop in downtown Freeport on August 25, 1994 in a grey Nissan Sunny.

The victim was never seen alive again.

The court heard that on September 21, 1994, police interviewed him and he eventually directed them to an area where skeletal remains, clothing, a watch and other jewelry were found.

Two pieces of rock with what appeared to be human hair attached to them were also discovered in the area. A pathologist determined that Bellizaire’s death was due to fractures to the skull.

Representing Todd is James Guthrie QC and local attorney Jerone Roberts.

Mr. Guthrie, the lead attorney, told the Privy Council Monday that the appeal is being made essentially on two grounds – that two crime scene photographs should not have been admitted and that an oral confession not allowed in by the trial judge at that time, Justice Joan Sawyer, was repeated during the trial.

James Dingemans QC and Cheryl Grant Bethel, deputy director of public prosecution, argued otherwise.

Mr. Dingemans, the prosecuting lead attorney, suggested that the pictures were rightfully included into evidence. He also argued that Todd’s oral confession, mentioned on the witness stand by the investigating officer, came out during cross examination by Todd’s own attorney.

In The Days Ahead

The five law lords will also hear the case of James F. Walker versus Susan Lundberg.

In this case the court ordered a sale of land owned by a man who went bankrupt. The question is could the court order the sale of his land, including his wife’s interest in the property.

A Privy Council ruling in the matter has the potential to significantly impact the country’s joint tenants law.

The two other cases to be heard is Donald King Knight versus the Attorney General of The Cayman Island and the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited versus the Public Utilities Commission and System Resource Group Limited.

The Right Honourable Lord Hope of Craighead advised against those concerned expecting an immediate ruling.

"The style we adopt is listening to arguments and testing it," he told the court Monday morning. "Do not expect an instant decision."

He said the court takes time to deliver a ruling in any matter.

Hearing the matters are Lord Hope, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe, Lord Manee and Sir Christopher Rose.

Pomp & Pageantry

Prior to the start of Monday’s proceedings, Lord Hope of Craighead inspected the guard of honour and was greeted by high-ranking police officers outside the Court of Appeal building.

The corner of Shirley and Charlotte streets was blocked off to traffic as the ceremonial inspection took place.

Following that, leading members of the judiciary welcomed the law lords.

According to the Attorney General Claire Hepburn this second visit in the space of two years is as equally historic as the first.

"The ultimate benefit from these sittings in the Bahamas beyond the repatriation of the judicial process to our shores, beyond the convenience to the litigants in these matters, may well prove to be the ability of the Bahamian people to see the Judicial Committee of Her Majesty’s Privy Council, the final appellate Court of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, at work in The Bahamas, to see that it is not some mythical grouping in the sky, but a board comprised of men and women applying Bahamian law to Bahamian legal matters," she said.

Also bringing remarks at the opening ceremony held at the Court of Appeal’s Charlotte Street building was former governor general and attorney Sir Orville Turnquest who noted that the Privy Council has set a standard for judicial excellence which has "promoted confidence, stability and reliance in the rule of law."

President of the Bahamas Bar Council Wayne Munroe pointed to the presence of members and students of the local law school. This, he said, was an experience for them to see the law being made, which they would typically only get to read about in their textbooks.

On behalf of the Privy Council, Lord Hope said the court is here because it has been invited to come.

He categorized last year’s sitting as a successful experiment and said this year’s sitting would further cement the council’s relationship with this jurisdiction.

Lord Hope noted that the Privy Council offers a service and does not seek to force itself on a state or jurisdiction that does not want it.

He said the Privy Council sits in public so that it might be seen and heard by the public and aid in the "demystification" surrounding the work the court carries out.

18 December 2007

December 19, 2007 | 10:42 PM Comments  0 comments

You must be logged in to add tags.


Dennis Dames's Profile

Dennis Dames's Friends


Latest Posts
A New Kind Of American...
God's Work And A...
Grateful or Hateful?
Salvador Allende: His...
Bahamas Government...

Monthly Archive
December 1969
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008

Change Language


Tags Archive
bahamas business&entrepreneurship choice decision enfusion governmentsector ict4d individualeconomy investment network networkdevelopment networknews newmedia news participation participationworks personaldevelopment personalproductivity podcast resources socialentrepreneurship socialreporting spelling test toolsforthejob video vodcast website websitehelp

Friends
Bahamas National Youth Council
Fay Knowles
Roderick R. Mckenzie

Links
A+ Links Int'l
AltaBlog Directory
Bahama Journal
Bahamas Dames
Bahamas Hotels
Bahamas Search
Bahamian WebRing
Best Blog Directory
Blog Directory
Blogadr
Blogdup
BlogExplosion
Blogit
Blogoozle Directory
Blogs Directory
Clickbank Marketplace
Crooks Blog
Dating Network
Free Paid Web Directory
International Classifieds
LS Blogs
Politics Blogs
The Nassau Guardian
Top 100 Women Websites
Top Poetry Sites on the...
Top Web Blogs
Vote For Me


393730 views
Important Disclaimer