…is not an ass
You can forgive the average citizen for fervently agreeing with Dickens’ Mr Bumble’s expostulation that “the law is an ass” when they consider the case coming up before Justice Holder on Wednesday on whether the recount can go forward or not. When will this confounded nonsense stop, he cries with upraised hands! But it’s not the law that’s the problem, it’s the people who want to make the law an ass. Let’s look first at the person who brought the case – Ulita Moore.
At first, it was stated she was a private citizen and as such, had no skin the game save to ensure that the agreement for the recount between Granger and Jagdeo wasn’t violating the laws governing GECOM’s operations. But she did, in fact, have a helluva lot of skin in the game, since she was an APNU candidate – assisted by a lawyer who’s another APNU candidate – who’d benefit if the flawed Mingo decision stood!! Who did they think they were fooling?? But it wasn’t the law that was an ass…it was these candidates who treated the law as an ass!
Then again, what about Granger – as the head of Moore’s APNU list who’d made the agreement with Jagdeo? Does anyone believe he is not only in cahoots with Moore, but actually ordered her to bring the case?? But this wasn’t the law that’s an ass, is it?? It’s a presidential candidate who ran on a platform of “honesty, integrity and decency” and can say with his smug, sanctimonious smile, “Wasn’t me”!!
As this is a man who insists he knows the Constitution more than the Judges. He definitely knew, like Jagdeo, about Art 161 (1) (b) which empowers the Commission to order a recount or do whatever it takes to do the right thing on elections. To use the CCJ’s phrase, which Granger should be familiar with by now, Art 161 (1) (b) needs no gloss. It declares simply that the Elections Commission “shall issue such instructions and take such action as appear to it necessary or expedient to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of this Constitution or of any Act of Parliament on the part of persons exercising powers or performing duties connected with or relating to the matters aforesaid.” It’s not the law, Dear Reader, it’s the hypocrites among us!
Then finally, there’s the Judge. The law is very clear that Judges “must avoid not only bias and impropriety, but even the mere appearance thereof”. But this Judge’s son-in-law is also an APNU candidate!!
Does he need the law to tell him to recuse himself?? Spare a thought for the law!!
…and COVID-19
A lotta people are blaming ordinary folks for doubting the motives of David Granger and Volda Lawrence for conferring totalitarian-sounding powers on their minions on the COVID-19 threat. But Guyanese of a certain age have been through this sort of thing before when it comes to trampling the rights of the Guyanese people. Give the PNC an inch and they’ll take the proverbial mile!!
And this exposes one of the sad characteristics of the Burnhamite regime, which Granger has vowed to follow if he’s at the helm. The people know the dictator’s lying when he insists a measure is for their own good; the dictator knows he’s lying, but he wants the people to go along as if it’s the truth. Pretty soon, the people doubts everything the dictator says – even in those rare instances when he might be speaking the truth.
So, how do we react to the power to “remove, disinfect and destroy the personal effects, goods, buildings and any other article, material or things exposed or thing exposed to infection from the disease”??
…and morality
There’s been a long-running inconclusive debate about the relationship between law and morality. For the longest while, it was held that the two were independent, but gradually the law’s taken a “normative turn”.
Hope it reaches Guyana by Wednesday!!
