Belden Namah on arrest of Chief Justice
The whole statement is quoted verbatim
Today (Thursday) at 2pm the Police and Army entered the Supreme Court to arrest the Chief Justice on charges under the Criminal Code including breaches of Sections 54, 56 and 57 of the Code, being Sedition, Interference with Government Ministers and Interference with the Legislature.
Complaints were made to Police early this week concerning the Chief Justice, due to the statements made by the Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika and Justice Sakora concerning the lack of judicial integrity of the Chief Justice and his compromise of the Court Bench.
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Belden Namah |
The two Judges refused to deliver a decision in the Special Reference concerning the questions of legitimacy of government on the basis that:-
a) Members of the Supreme Court Bench were effected by judicial bias, and
b) Members of the Supreme Court Bench brought the integrity of the Supreme Court into question, and
c) The Supreme Court Bench was compromised and that a proper decision in accordance with law and untainted by bias was not possible.
The Chief Justice, Justice Kirriwom and Justice Gavara Nanu delivered their decisions despite the statements by the two most senior Judges on the Supreme Court.
Many persons in the media including prominent constitutional lawyer Loani Henao promptly called on the three remaining Judges to resign, given their clear lack of independence and integrity on the case. The Deputy Prime Minister in a press statement advised the three Judges that they had 24 hours to resign or to face arrest for sedition.
The Chief Justice reacted to this by issuing a Warrant of Arrest for the Deputy Prime Minister to be arrested and brought to the Supreme Court at 1.30pm today to be dealt with for contempt.
Police determined to act on the complaints against the Chief Justice and arrest him today and attended at the Supreme Court at 1.30pm along with the Deputy Prime Minister. On entering the Court room to arrest the Chief Justice, when the Chief Justice heard he was about to be arrested and he fled from the Court room and locked himself in his Chambers. The Director of Police Prosecutions and Assistant Commissioner Thomas Eluh negotiated with the Chief Justice to leave the Chambers.
The Deputy Prime Minister has said “Enough is Enough. The Chief Justice has ignored the proper exercise by the National Executive Council and the Governor General of their Constitutional powers for his suspension, and avoided the suspension by issuing a permanent Order to stay his own suspension."