KINGSTON, JAMAICA, September 25, 2017: The Patriots are dismayed at the comments made by the Justice Minister, the Honourable Delroy Chuck that bogus divorce documents are being issued to members of the public from the court offices. The PNP affiliated group says with these comments the Justice Minister has maligned the staff at the Supreme Court and it is therefore not surprised that the comments have provoked protest action by the entire Civil Division of the Supreme Court.
The Patriots say the Justice Minister should apologise for comments made and refrain from any further comment on the matter as an investigation is already on the way.
While we applaud the Justice Minister’s zeal in his efforts to stamp out corruption in our Court system, he must exercise much more responsibility in his statements on this matter or any matter as sensitive as this one. At a time when there are ongoing wage negotiations as well as low morale across the entire Civil Service, the Minister’s pronouncements serve only to further demoralise and demotivate the court’s staff and expand the growing rift between a critical segment of the Civil Service and the Government.
Further, as it is now public knowledge that competent bodies are investigating some of the very matter; the Minister, being an Attorney-at-Law should appreciate the sensitivities of a criminal investigation and should not seek to make any statements to compromise same.
The Minister has a responsibility to the Court Staff who fall under his portfolio and as such, we urge him to refrain from further statements on this matter while the police complete their investigations.
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