Judge Patrick Robinson is right, however...

JUDGE PATRICK Robinson has long been admired and respected by his peers, both locally and internationally. A personable and statuesque individual, he is a study of propriety and exceptional erudition. This Jamaican quietly and unassumingly ascended through the legal ranks and is currently president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands, .... an achievement of no mean order.

Judge Robinson reacted publicly and with consternation to The Observer's editorial of Sunday, June 6, titled 'Time is not on our side, Mrs Chief Justice'. Frankly, the very title was interfering and flawed. It sought to unduly pressure the chief justice into making a hurried decision and to disempower her. The piece itself was saturated with distrustful and snide remarks.

Although we are all aware of this administration's (as yet unexplained) about-turn, the serious political implications and legal acrobatics of this vexing case, the editorial challenged the chief justice's decision to entertain the application (of Coke's lawyers for a stay of the execution of the warrant of his arrest) and to reserve judgment on the matter. It questioned her integrity and attempted to burden the chief justice with the consequences of ruling either way - a catch -22.

The piece pre-emptively undermined the Caribbean Court of Justice's ability to fulfil its mandate to act as the supranational court for the region by insinuating that our judges may chose not to "exercise their discretion with the intellectual maturity of which we know they are capable".

Baffling editorial

In his scathing letter to the paper ('Baffling editorial' on June 9), Judge Robinson describes the piece using words like "baffled", "appalled", "contemptuous", "irresponsible", "specious reasoning", "irrelevance" and "illogic" to drive home his dismay at the publication for depicting the chief justice and other justices of the Caribbean as pliable and pandering to the public and politicians. He defends the judiciary by wielding his years of brilliance and unquestionable integrity ... and, he is right. However, the judiciary has become a casualty of the rotten opinion that many now have of our supposed upstanding and outstanding public servants.

In general, the citizens of this country have totally lost faith in our leaders. The motives and actions of many public servants were always questionable but the extreme disappointments of recent events are akin to the deep and searing pain experienced by a wounded spouse when his/her mate lies and cheats (especially with someone of ill-repute).

The Observer editorial is merely symptomatic of a nation betrayed by trusted individuals. If we can't trust our top public servants to be absolutely honest, to reveal everything to us ... the citizenry, who in heaven's name can we trust? We have come to expect that corruption and expedience will prevail simply because they have for so long.

I can tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that we suffer from a profound lack of accountability in Jamaica. With the right 'links' (financial, personal, organisational or political contacts) you can get away with just about anything.

Bare-faced lies, convenient omissions, selective amnesia, feigned ignorance and arrogance have carried several people to the top of their game. Public opinion has it that Coke's capture could net bigger fish. With that sort of belief, it is understandable that most public servants are assumed to be either corrupted or corruptible.

The only way to restore trust in our leadership is for the culpable ones (they know who they are) to confess all and/or to selflessly withdraw from public service ... but, alas, this is Jamaica.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical practitioner. He may be contacted at garthrattray@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.