We've told you all about the various attacks on Justice of Appeal Samuel Awich. The bar took out a resolution against his re-appointment, the former Prime Minister brought it up in the house, and more recently Senior Counsel Andrew Marshalleck wrote a lengthy article in the weekend papers questioning whether Awich's re-appointment unde3mrines the integrity of the Court of Appeal.
Well, the Prime Minister's Office struck back today with a strongly worded release. It refers to, quote, "continued attacks" which are, quote, "contemptuous and contemptible." It says these attacks, quote, "seek to scandalize the…Court of Appeal…and may well be actionable by the Director of Public Prosecutions."
The release says, quote, "the campaign is being led by persons with obvious interests to serve, namely Bar President Eamon Courtenay, Jacqueline Marshalleck and her husband Andrew Marshalleck."
As for the Bar Resolution against Awich, the release notes, that quote, "only 18 Bar members attended the meeting that approved the Resolution, when the actual membership of the Bar is well in excess of 100." To that it adds, quote, "The Office of the Prime Minister advises that Cabinet will actively consider a course of action that will address the situation in which a puny, eighteen-person minority can purport to speak in the name of all lawyers in Belize." End quote.
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