GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Bar Council of The Bar Association of Guyana, Friday said it “unreservedly condemns” the recent attacks on attorneys appearing in the court cases regarding the disputed March 2 regional and general elections.
In a statement, the Council said that the attacks “through various forms of media, social and otherwise” have targeted lawyers “appearing in legal proceedings before the Court, touching and concerning the General and Regional Elections”.
It made particular reference to the attacks on former Solicitor General, Mrs Kim Kyte-Thomas “for who the vilest personal attacks appear to have been reserved over the past two days.
“As recently as last week we were compelled to speak in light of escalated statements aimed at the judiciary, inter alia, in an appalling effort to alter the course of justice. It would appear that persons not being so successful have now resorted to a lower level of depravity.”
The Council said the “embarrassingly protracted election process has resulted in a heightened political atmosphere which has seen a pattern in personal attacks being levied against persons in the exercise of their profession and duties”.
It said “such attacks are wholly unacceptable, inappropriate and must be denounced” and that attorneys are by statute, officers of the Court and appear for their clients in the discharge of their professional duty, under oath, without fear or favour.
“We caution members of the public against such inflammatory, threatening and libellous statements which in addition to undermining the administration of justice and rule of law, could found the basis for the institution of legal proceedings and charges against such perpetrators,” the Council added.
Chief Justice Roxanne George is on Friday hearing oral arguments in the latest twist in the declaration of the results of the elections in which both the ruling coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the main opposition, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) are both claiming victory.
CMC
