Penn denounces Premier’s proposed committee for Willock
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn has lambasted Premier Andrew Fahie’s efforts at putting forward a resolution that seeks to establish a committee to ultimately decide who should pay House Speaker Julian Willock’s legal costs for an aborted court injunction.
The injunction was filed against three Commission of Inquiry (COI) lawyers because Willock felt they were practising law illegally in the BVI. But the matter was aborted after he failed to gain the consent of Attorney General (AG), Dawn Smith. The court, therefore, ordered Willock to pay legal fees for all parties he brought before the court.
Making his position clear from the outset, Penn said: “I do not support the Honourable House of Assembly making a decision that usurps and circumvents courts — which is the judiciary — to make a payment for the Honourable Speaker, Julian Willock.”
“I totally denounce the position that we brought the … resolution to go to a committee of the House to make this decision,” Penn said while noting the Speaker was already afforded due process before the courts and a clear ruling was made.
“I am not going to be on any select committee to further undermine the sanctity of the judicial system,” he added.
The Opposition Leader said Willock was given two opportunities before the court to file affidavits to prove that he had the support of the HOA members or the Attorney General and that the matter was moved in the public interest.
Willock failed to prove either.
Willock did not consult HOA
The Speaker, he charged, filed the injunction without the approval of the House of Assembly even though approval was required beforehand.
Penn said the Speaker even went a step further and filed a lawsuit against the AG after she declined to give permission for the case to move forward. This too was without the consent of the members of the House, Penn argued.
Penn also attacked the very basis on which the injunction was moved before the court. He highlighted that the contract with Silk Legal — attorneys representing non-ministerial members of the HOA — only offered to assist the Attorney General, if needed, with any court matter that arose from the COI’s proceedings.
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The AG has expressed the view that the COI lawyers are practising illegally in the BVI so why didn’t she support the action.
Was that view explicitly expressed or she said that they should be called to the bar?
Still, there was an is no need for them to be called.
Is the committee working for free,the premier should pay half of Willocks bill since he is creating further expense.
We already know who the committee members would be!!
Why is the deputy speaker not required to pay if it was both he and the speaker that filed the injunction? They should split it 50-50. Something not adding up.
I am with Penn on this one.
Fahie is behind this whole thing from its inception
Mr Willock stop letting Fahie use you then throw you under the bus
That was a really well argued speech from Marlon Penn. It was tightly argued, and very logical. I thought it was devastating.
Dawn should pay too. She’s partly to blame
So criminals at HMP can seek committees to be set up to look at their verdicts despite the Court rulings? This is what it seems like to me! The Court reviewed the matter and made a firm decision. What is the Committee going to do? What facts will they look at? The Court gave the Speaker an opportunity to provide the FACTS as to why he should not be held liable to pay and he didn’t submit anything, hence the order being made for him to pay. The Committee decision is to delay the process while giving the impression that it is being dealt with in a formal manner. The Premier seems to think that this is the 1990s when people were probably more gullible and simple minded, but this will not fly in 2021. If he wants to appeal to the Court, let him do that but this whole Committee nonsense will not fly. The COI was investigating among other things, Government officials getting involved in Judicial business when it’s a separate branch and here we are watching them do the same thing.
sure know how bop and weave / they playing with the people’s mind / they playing with the people’s money ? they have no conscience its all about themselves/ and the way Andy is dealing with those teachers is an example of how much these HYPOCRITES care about the youths
Thank you Marlon. Andrew thinks everybody stupid.
EVERYBODY NOT STUPID BUT THEM MORE STUPID THAN STUPID THAN EVERYBODY ELSE, JUST A WHOLE HEAP OF FOOLISHNESS THESE PEOPLE DOING ,SO ISN’T THERE NOT ONE SMART MINISTER IN THERE WHO CAN SAY RIGHT FROM WRONG COME ON ,COME ,ON ,WHERE THERE IS GREED THE PEOPLE SUFFERS TAKE A LOOK AT HAITI
Marlon needs to sit. The Esteemed was quite right the 2nd district rep alwYs sounds like is under the influence of something not someone. These lawyers need to respect our laws
should powder his wig, and check out his piggy bank.
The Fahie Admin is trotting on the wrong path. Willock has to pay. If Fahie wants to help him, then he should get his VIP members and nipple suckers to contribute to Willock’s legal bill. Patsy -$40g Claude – $30g, each Minister – $10g, Willock – $0.00
Neville – $0.00.
Willock will have to save up some money for when Cindy sues him!! He is such an embarrassment to men.
a committee to do what ,to see how and where they are going to get the money to thief ,to pay his legal fee for him, i thought the premiere was an educated fxxl,wrong is wrong and right is right,first govt i see do some much nonsense so ,waste resources ,can’t manage , never no anything , oh i wasn’t against the major drug burst in the BVI ,my god if u were not against it ,u were for it ,simple and plain forward ,figure out how the next shipment coming in to pay that legal cost ,
form a committee, to decide how much to pay your essential staff ,police ,doctors ,nurses ,teachers and not this 300 $ stipent ,that cannot even buy rice to feed chicken ,happy hour ahhahahah ,what an embarassment and shame ,let this government act and think like educated people , time for UK TO TAKE OVER THE MANAGEMNT OF THIS PLACE, ,red flag ,