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Enquiry and Old McDonald's Farm
MICHAEL BURKE
Thursday, March 03, 2011
O Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, E-I-E-I-O
Atkinson, Knight then Small and Phipps E-I-E-I-O
Dwight Nelson versus Peter Phillips
O Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, E-I-E-I-O
Some say that the Manatt, Phelps and Phillips Enquiry is a stage show (hence the above song to the tune of Old-McDonald-had-a-farm). Others have referred to it as Days of our lies. I do not usually like to comment on commissions of enquiry until the deliberations are completely finished, but there are few different things with regard to this enquiry. In the first instance, the enquiry is being carried live on at least one radio and at least one TV station. This speaks volumes to the fact that there is a preponderance of radio stations today. A station that is lacking in sponsors can certainly gain financially from this enquiry.
In the second instance, it is perhaps the first time since the early days of Norman Manley as a barrister (the legal profession of barristers and solicitors had not yet amalgamated as that did not happen until January 3, 1972) have we had the day-by-day reports in the media of eminent lawyers at work. Of course, at that time it was the print media, as there were no radio stations in Jamaica before 1939.
The lawyers employed at this enquiry are ones who have made their names by practising criminal law. While today most of Jamaica's lawyers are women, it somehow remains true that the best criminal lawyers anywhere in the world are usually men. Is it because men prefer criminal law, or is it because the lawyers employed in this enquiry are all middle-aged men who were trained differently from the way lawyers are trained today? I suspect that it is actually both.
Before 1975 law students were articled to older lawyers and had to do practical work. But men tend to learn in practical ways while women tend to learn by studying books. Of course there are exceptions both ways.
Small wonder then that the legal profession in Jamaica today attracts more women than men. Of course there are exceptions both ways. But I would prefer to see a system where law students have a choice of either way to be trained. In this way the profession might once again attract men who could go on to become great defence lawyers.
In the third instance, watching the proceedings unfold is changing the political landscape of the country in a very rapid way. It is my opinion that were Peter Phillips the president of the People's National Party, it would be a certainty, no matter what the Jamaica Labour Party comes with, that the PNP would win the next election by a landslide.
True, former British prime minister the late Harold Wilson said, "a week is as long as a year in politics". The next election is at least a year and a half away, if prime minister Bruce Golding decides to do a full term. But already there is a mood in the country that will be hard to reverse if Phillips assumes the leadership of the PNP. Golding's only hope at present is for Portia Simpson Miller not to give up the PNP presidency.
The attempt to target Peter Philips as a "sell-out" will not hold any water. The people who say so are seasoned JLP supporters. I have not heard anyone who voted PNP in the last election express that opinion. Senator Dennis Meadows' call for a censure of Peter Phillips will only work in Phillips' favour.
In 1970, a foreigner forged the name of the then minister of agriculture for a contract. Michael Manley, the Leader of the Opposition at the time, questioned the wisdom of the minister in signing such a contract. It turned out the minister knew nothing about it. Michael Manley then went to England and did a lot of detective work, which resulted in the arrest of the agent of a foreign company who had forged the minister's signature.
The JLP majority in Parliament censured Manley. Then the PNP printed buttons with Manley's photograph on them with the inscription "censured for saving Jamaica". Phillips might well do the same, if censured. And in the campaign for the next election, Phillips could well promote himself as the man who spoke the truth. Can Golding find a way to counter that?
I started by borrowing the tune of Old McDonald's farm and end with a joke about "his" farm. A Canadian, an American and a Jamaican were in a quiz competition, one of those that one has to win one round to go to the other. One question was "Old McDonald had a...? The Canadian answered "house".
So the question went to the American: Old McDonald had a...? The American answered, "ranch".
The question then went to the Jamaican; Old McDonald had a ...? The Jamaican answered "farm". So the Jamaican won that round and went to the next. The question at the next round was to spell "farm", to which the Jamaican shouted "E-I-E-I-O".
ekrubm765@yahoo.com
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...#ixzz1FdJSqxDc
MICHAEL BURKE
Thursday, March 03, 2011
O Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, E-I-E-I-O
Atkinson, Knight then Small and Phipps E-I-E-I-O
Dwight Nelson versus Peter Phillips
O Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, E-I-E-I-O
Some say that the Manatt, Phelps and Phillips Enquiry is a stage show (hence the above song to the tune of Old-McDonald-had-a-farm). Others have referred to it as Days of our lies. I do not usually like to comment on commissions of enquiry until the deliberations are completely finished, but there are few different things with regard to this enquiry. In the first instance, the enquiry is being carried live on at least one radio and at least one TV station. This speaks volumes to the fact that there is a preponderance of radio stations today. A station that is lacking in sponsors can certainly gain financially from this enquiry.
In the second instance, it is perhaps the first time since the early days of Norman Manley as a barrister (the legal profession of barristers and solicitors had not yet amalgamated as that did not happen until January 3, 1972) have we had the day-by-day reports in the media of eminent lawyers at work. Of course, at that time it was the print media, as there were no radio stations in Jamaica before 1939.
The lawyers employed at this enquiry are ones who have made their names by practising criminal law. While today most of Jamaica's lawyers are women, it somehow remains true that the best criminal lawyers anywhere in the world are usually men. Is it because men prefer criminal law, or is it because the lawyers employed in this enquiry are all middle-aged men who were trained differently from the way lawyers are trained today? I suspect that it is actually both.
Before 1975 law students were articled to older lawyers and had to do practical work. But men tend to learn in practical ways while women tend to learn by studying books. Of course there are exceptions both ways.
Small wonder then that the legal profession in Jamaica today attracts more women than men. Of course there are exceptions both ways. But I would prefer to see a system where law students have a choice of either way to be trained. In this way the profession might once again attract men who could go on to become great defence lawyers.
In the third instance, watching the proceedings unfold is changing the political landscape of the country in a very rapid way. It is my opinion that were Peter Phillips the president of the People's National Party, it would be a certainty, no matter what the Jamaica Labour Party comes with, that the PNP would win the next election by a landslide.
True, former British prime minister the late Harold Wilson said, "a week is as long as a year in politics". The next election is at least a year and a half away, if prime minister Bruce Golding decides to do a full term. But already there is a mood in the country that will be hard to reverse if Phillips assumes the leadership of the PNP. Golding's only hope at present is for Portia Simpson Miller not to give up the PNP presidency.
The attempt to target Peter Philips as a "sell-out" will not hold any water. The people who say so are seasoned JLP supporters. I have not heard anyone who voted PNP in the last election express that opinion. Senator Dennis Meadows' call for a censure of Peter Phillips will only work in Phillips' favour.
In 1970, a foreigner forged the name of the then minister of agriculture for a contract. Michael Manley, the Leader of the Opposition at the time, questioned the wisdom of the minister in signing such a contract. It turned out the minister knew nothing about it. Michael Manley then went to England and did a lot of detective work, which resulted in the arrest of the agent of a foreign company who had forged the minister's signature.
The JLP majority in Parliament censured Manley. Then the PNP printed buttons with Manley's photograph on them with the inscription "censured for saving Jamaica". Phillips might well do the same, if censured. And in the campaign for the next election, Phillips could well promote himself as the man who spoke the truth. Can Golding find a way to counter that?
I started by borrowing the tune of Old McDonald's farm and end with a joke about "his" farm. A Canadian, an American and a Jamaican were in a quiz competition, one of those that one has to win one round to go to the other. One question was "Old McDonald had a...? The Canadian answered "house".
So the question went to the American: Old McDonald had a...? The American answered, "ranch".
The question then went to the Jamaican; Old McDonald had a ...? The Jamaican answered "farm". So the Jamaican won that round and went to the next. The question at the next round was to spell "farm", to which the Jamaican shouted "E-I-E-I-O".
ekrubm765@yahoo.com
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...#ixzz1FdJSqxDc
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