Dear Editor
We, the executive and members of the Berbice Bar Association wish to strongly record our collective condemnation of the recent attacks that were aimed at The Honourable Madam Justice Sandra Kurtzious because Her Honour correctly performed her duties as a sitting High Court judge.
The comments posted on social media and elsewhere have berated the honourable Judge and are abhorrent to the proper administration of justice and have no place in a democracy that embraces the independent character of our judiciary in our fragile democracy.
We call on all right thinking civil organisations to raise their voices against these attacks in the strongest possible terms, as to remain silent is to be complicit. We also call upon the Judiciary to stand up for the integrity of the Honourable Justice Kurtizious. It saddens us that the persons responsible for those attacks can be so unkind and cruel to Her Honour. It was an inhumane attack on the judge.
It is unfortunate, to say the least, that those that unjustifiably attack Her Honour did not stop to think of the untold suffering that they would have caused her. They, themselves, are guilty of what they so, dastardly and wrongfully accuse the judge.
Instead of attacking the judge, which was totally wrong, they should have chastised those whose carelessness caused the precipitation of the Rules of the Court that mandated the judge to give a default judgment.
Perhaps the persons should familiarise themselves with the Civil Procedure Rules 2016.
The judge should not be blamed for complying with the Rules of Court. Her Honour had a duty to do so. She should be commended.
We call upon those responsible to immediately retract the publication and offer an un-conditional apology to her Honour.
The Civil Procedure Rules give the Honourable First Vice President an opportunity to apply to the Court to set aside the judgment and for an extension of time to file a Defence.
Regards
Horatio Edmondson
Vice President, Berbice Bar Association
Attorney-at-law
