Social activist and host of “Straight Up with Mark Benschop” has expressed disappointment with today’s Stabroek News’ cartoon. The cartoon, seen above, uses a photograph of Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, framed in words that could be deemed insulting.
On Monday the case, regarding allegations of fraud charges into the 2020 General and Regional Elections, was postponed due to report the senior magistrate was unwell and could not preside. It has been put down to October 31, 2024
Facing charges related to the alleged rigging of the 2020 General and Regional Elections are: former Health Minister under the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government, Volda Lawrence; former Elections Officer (CEO) at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield; former Deputy CEO at GECOM, Roxanne Myers; former District Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller; and Carol Smith-Joseph, People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) member.
Benschop is contending the cartoon is also displaying contempt for court given the matter is subjudice.
According to the social activist and owner of Benschop Radio 107.1 FM cases have been postponed before by other magistrates “but none has been verbally attacked, demeaned and insulted like Magistrate Daly.” At least not by the media he argued.
The talk show host also noted the senior magistrate has been targeted by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Bharrat Jagdeo. Newsroom reported that Nandlall Tuesday night on his “Issue in the News” programme labelled the adjournment part of an orchestrated effort to stall justice.
It is Benschop’s view the cartoonist, P Harris, may now be using his medium as a conduit and propaganda machinery of the government. In the race hate and lawless society acts like these put the senior magistrate’s life at risk he posited.
This is racism at its best again, compliments of the Stabroek News, Benschop asserted and called for the cartoon to be taken to the Ethnic Relations Commission, immediately.
Last May Benschop expressed similar concern of a cartoon depicting a poor black man, holding a gun in his hand as a criminal. The young man held a gun, in his hand, emblazoned with the word “crime,” on his back “Guyana’s Future” and in his back pocket “poverty.”
Back then the radio owner had called on the media house to apologise, stating even if the cartoonist submitted his work editorial judgment should have informed its non-publication.
Last June, acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire expressed disappointment with public criticism of officers of the court, describing it as distressing and unfair.
“Terrible comments are made about the judges. It’s distressing. I have to comment,” the CJ said. She was referencing derogatory remarks, including Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s description of High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon as “presumptuous” for his ruling in favour of the Guyana Teachers Union.
Studies have shown stereotyping has been used as a racist measure against black people and people of colour to justify marginalisation. According to the Oxford Academic Journal of Communication (October 2023), “The media portray many social categories, such as minority groups, in a stereotypical way (which) is problematic, as media depictions often represent the main, if not the only, source of information for citizens.”
