Much ado…about judicial hiccups!!

The cynicism with which citizens view our political institutions was brought home quite dramatically last week – with some events in the lives of our top judicial officers. Now, as we all should know, the judiciary is our political system’s umpire – like in cricket!! Its job is to ensure the political game is played according to the rules – which unfortunately politicians break with impunity! Some, like the PNC, more than others!! As such, there are constant screams of “HOWSZAT??!! Your Honour” from politicians every day of the week – each going on for years!! Just look at those PNC types in the docks who are trying to rig the 2020 elections and who are coming up with one (specious) reason or another to drag out the case!!
Anyhow…back to last week. Further back in July or so, our Chancellor (ag) had decided to enjoy her accumulated leave. Regular folks don’t appreciate the fortitude of our judicial officers who gotta work through their overcrowded calendars – with no time to break bread – much less take a break with their families and recharge their batteries!! So Madame Chancellor (ag) informed the President – as is the rule – that she was gonna take some time off.
But since folks don’t take vacations from their disputes – which the courts gotta settle – the Chancellor’s office can’t be left vacant, and it’s the duty of Pressie to appoint someone to fill it. Now our Chancellor had already been “acting: in the role – but for another reason!! This being, the Pressies gotta get the ACCEPTANCE of the opposition leader to make the appointment kosher. Not getting this acceptance makes them “act”. So in July, when the acting Chancellor went off (to presumably frolic), Pressie bumped up the Chief Justice – who was also “acting” in THAT position – to be acting for the acting Chancellor!! And to make sure the Chief Justice seat wasn’t unoccupied – cases!! cases!! – he bumped up a regular judge to act for the acting Chief Justice!! And he did INFORM the Opposition Leader – who didn’t even bother to acknowledge the letter!!
Are you following all this, dear reader?? Your Eyewitness hopes so!! Anyhow, time passes – as it usually does! – and the Acting Chancellor – let’s call her No. 1 – returned all rested and stuff and showed up at the office; clearly she had to’ve informed Acting Chancellor No. 2, who showed up at her old Chief Justice office – where Acting Chief Justice Two was ensconced. Clearly being apprised that changes were afoot, Acting Chancellor #2 – who was now Acting Chief Justice #1 – didn’t throw out Acting CJ #2 on his ears but amiably cooled her heels in a conference room!!
In the meantime, the opposition media went berserk with conspiracy theories!!

…about fixing said hiccup!!
They screamed that Pressie was deliberately muddying the dignity of the judiciary – by deliberately leaving Acting CJ #1 out in the cold!! Turns out, however, that the (now rested) Acting Chancellor merely wanted to probably clear out her office!! Because that same day, she informed the president she was resigning from her position and would proceed on early retirement. Under the constitution, she had another seven years to go. And no, your Eyewitness, being a gentleman, isn’t going to reveal her age!!
The next day, Pressie graciously accepted her resignation – and thanked her profusely for her services!! He then reappointed Chief Justice #1 as the Acting Chief Justice – and not only retained the Acting Chief Justice as #1 – but appointed him to the Judicial Services Commission!!  But he didn’t stop there!! He wrote to Opposition Leader Norton about the appointments to seek his approval to make them substantive! Enough of all the “acting”!! Or else they may have to join the Actors’ Guild!!
Problem solved??

…about the Opposition Leader!!
Naah!! The Opposition sees a new problem. They claim there’s a new LOO post September 1st – Sanction Man – and he should give approval! They forget that until a new LOO is ELECTED by opposition MPs – Norton remains LOO??!!