Defiant Dorothy! Former justice minister and attorney general insists she acted appropriately in 'Dudus' extradition matter

Tyrone Reid, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

Bruised after being battered by public opinion, and eventually booted from the Bruce Golding-led Cabinet, a defiant Dorothy Lightbourne says her former boss bowed to public pressure when he stripped her of the justice minister and attorney general portfolios last week.

In response to Sunday Gleaner queries, Lightbourne swung parting shots at her critics and dismissed claims of non-performance during her almost four-year tenure at the Ministry of Justice in the once-conjoined legal roles as justice minister and attorney general. She chalked up her dismissal from the ranks of the inner sanctum of the country's political  directorate as shrewd political manoeuvring on the part of the prime minister.

"There was considerable clamour for my removal based on my alleged delay in handling Mr Coke's extradition. There was also a perception of non-performance by the ministry. The allegation of delay remains unsubstantiated, and the perception of non-performance does not accord with the reality.

"Nevertheless, given the strident calls for my removal, the PM no doubt considered it politic in all the circumstances to heed the call," noted Lightbourne in a written response.

respected decision

The senator said that the decision to axe her from the Cabinet was within the prime minister's remit and, as such, "it must be respected".

Prime Minister Golding accepted the advice of the commissioners who presided over the Manatt-Dudus enquiry, and the legal kingdom Lightbourne controlled up to late last month has been divided, with the justice minister realm being handed to former House Speaker, Delroy Chuck, and a new attorney general not yet being named.

Lightbourne argued further that it was necessary, for purposes of the record, to disabuse persons of the notion that she underperformed while occupying her previous offices.

The former attorney general listed a string of "accomplishments" under her watch as justice minister, including additional courtrooms and an increase in the number of judges in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

Despite the public criticism and what is being touted as the reason she was dropped from the Cabinet, the senator maintains that she would not have handled the 'Dudus' extradition request differently.

no puppet

And, for the critics who think she was a mere puppet who acted solely on instructions from Prime Minister Golding, Lightbourne said, think again.

"The decision to extradite required the exercise of my executive discretion. I repeat for purposes of the record that at no time did the prime minister give me any directions as to how my discretion should be exercised," Lightbourne stated adamantly.

The senator also said that she felt vindicated by the Manatt-Dudus commission of enquiry report on all matters constitutional, but believed the three commissioners erred by concluding that she should have signed the authority to proceed immediately.

"I submit, respectfully, that the commissioners' conclusion that as minister of justice, I should have signed the authority to proceed promptly, is untenable. Such an act would have had the effect of sending a Jamaican citizen whose constitutional rights had been breached immediately to prison, and there could have been no possible justification for this," she said.

Lightbourne also signalled that her ministerial demise early last week did not mean her political career was dead. "I will continue to serve and make my contributions in the Senate as I have done for most of my political career."

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com