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Opposition senators bring no-confidence motion against justice minister
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, June 26, 2010
ATTORNEY General and Justice Minister Senator Dorothy Lightbourne will next week face a no-confidence motion brought by Opposition senators much similar to the one brought against Prime Minister Bruce Golding earlier this month.
The motion against Lightbourne, notice of which was given in the Senate yesterday by Opposition Senator Sandrea Falconer, called on the Senate to "condemn the attorney general for using the power of the State to prevent the smooth flow of the process by which the requested surrender of an alleged drug lord was to be pursued, causing unprecedented scorn and embarassment upon the Jamaican state within the community of nations".
LIGHTBOURNE
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It said the justice minister with "spurious reasons and excuses delayed for nine months the signing of an authority to proceed on an extradition request made by a friendly state and this request was in respect of a person (Christopher 'Dudus' Coke) accused of drug-trafficking and gunrunning".
It said Lightbourne's "act constituted a direct assault upon the rule of law, scant respect for the proper administration of justice and gross dereliction of ministerial responsibility".
The motion called further for the Senate to declare that Lightbourne be censured for her actions during the nine-month hiatus. It also said the "mismanagement of the extradition process has so severely impacted her trustworthiness and competence that she no longer enjoys the confidence of the Senate as minister".
Falconer also called on the Senate to press the Government to establish a Commission of Enquiry into the process adopted in meeting the extradition request and the conduct of the Government in the Manatt, Phelps and Phillips affair.
Lightbourne, who was itching to respond to the call for a debate, relented to requests from Government members who asked that the motion be taken next week.
"I am raring to defend myself, but my colleagues would prefer that the matter be taken next week," she said pointedly.
"All the malice can come out next week, just hold the malice and hope it doesn't kill you," she added sotto voce.
When President of the Senate Oswald Harding exited the chamber after the adjournment, Government and opposition senators squared off across the divide, almost glaring at each other.
"Dinosaur," Government Senator Dwight Nelson muttered to no one in particular.
"Ole lime, ole lemon, ole lime widdout juice," Government Senator Desmond Mckenzie said.
Lightbourne said the motion would take priority next week. Interestingly, the Senate is set to debate the six crime bills next week.
The Government earlier this month defeated a no-confidence motion tabled in the House by the parliamentary Opposition against Prime Minister Bruce Golding. The motion was defeated 30-28, even without the vote of House Speaker Delroy Chuck and that of Shahine Robinson, who had that day learnt that her North East St Ann seat was declared vacant the previous Monday by the Supreme Court in a default judgement.
Robinson has since been reinstated pending the outcome of a trial on October 4.
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, June 26, 2010
ATTORNEY General and Justice Minister Senator Dorothy Lightbourne will next week face a no-confidence motion brought by Opposition senators much similar to the one brought against Prime Minister Bruce Golding earlier this month.
The motion against Lightbourne, notice of which was given in the Senate yesterday by Opposition Senator Sandrea Falconer, called on the Senate to "condemn the attorney general for using the power of the State to prevent the smooth flow of the process by which the requested surrender of an alleged drug lord was to be pursued, causing unprecedented scorn and embarassment upon the Jamaican state within the community of nations".
LIGHTBOURNE 1/1 It said the justice minister with "spurious reasons and excuses delayed for nine months the signing of an authority to proceed on an extradition request made by a friendly state and this request was in respect of a person (Christopher 'Dudus' Coke) accused of drug-trafficking and gunrunning".
It said Lightbourne's "act constituted a direct assault upon the rule of law, scant respect for the proper administration of justice and gross dereliction of ministerial responsibility".
The motion called further for the Senate to declare that Lightbourne be censured for her actions during the nine-month hiatus. It also said the "mismanagement of the extradition process has so severely impacted her trustworthiness and competence that she no longer enjoys the confidence of the Senate as minister".
Falconer also called on the Senate to press the Government to establish a Commission of Enquiry into the process adopted in meeting the extradition request and the conduct of the Government in the Manatt, Phelps and Phillips affair.
Lightbourne, who was itching to respond to the call for a debate, relented to requests from Government members who asked that the motion be taken next week.
"I am raring to defend myself, but my colleagues would prefer that the matter be taken next week," she said pointedly.
"All the malice can come out next week, just hold the malice and hope it doesn't kill you," she added sotto voce.
When President of the Senate Oswald Harding exited the chamber after the adjournment, Government and opposition senators squared off across the divide, almost glaring at each other.
"Dinosaur," Government Senator Dwight Nelson muttered to no one in particular.
"Ole lime, ole lemon, ole lime widdout juice," Government Senator Desmond Mckenzie said.
Lightbourne said the motion would take priority next week. Interestingly, the Senate is set to debate the six crime bills next week.
The Government earlier this month defeated a no-confidence motion tabled in the House by the parliamentary Opposition against Prime Minister Bruce Golding. The motion was defeated 30-28, even without the vote of House Speaker Delroy Chuck and that of Shahine Robinson, who had that day learnt that her North East St Ann seat was declared vacant the previous Monday by the Supreme Court in a default judgement.
Robinson has since been reinstated pending the outcome of a trial on October 4.
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