Speaker accuses High Court judge of interfering with Legislature
Days after accusing Attorney General Dawn Smith of misleading the High Court, Speaker of the House of Assembly (HOA), Julian Willock has now accused the same court of interfering with the legislative arm of government — the HOA.
Willock levelled this latest criticism in relation to the ongoing court matter about who must pay the legal costs for the now-withdrawn injunction he filed against three attorneys attached to the Commission of Inquiry.
Among other things, the judge presiding over the matter, Justice Adrian Jack had instructed the Speaker to sign an affidavit giving details about who in the government agreed to pay his legal fees. But while addressing the HOA Wednesday morning, Willock, commented that “never in recent jurisprudence in the region or the United Kingdom has there been an issue when a plaintiff brings a matter to court, loses or withdraws, that the case goes to a legal or public debate about who will take up the cost”.
“Furthermore, it is highly unusual for the court to require a party to prove how their lawyers are being financed … I concur and further view it as judicial activism and interference against the legislature, as the House of Assembly has the right to bring any matter to court, independent of the Honourable Attorney General,” he added.
HOA has its own budget
The Speaker then noted that the House has held an account via the territory’s annual budget process since 2004. He said this account was set up to fund matters such as these.
He then suggested that the court, in its recent actions, seem to “wish to deliberately undermine and intimidate the Legislature”.
“I will not speculate as to why suddenly, it is a concern for a British judge, as to who pays for a matter that was clearly stated in all filings coming from the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker,” Willock stated.
He added: “The Virgin Islands must be a place where the rule of law applies to all residents, visitors, all branches of Government, and even personnel of the Commission of Inquiry.”
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This can’t be real life buddy nah.
Oohhhh nooo!! Has anyone seen my blonde wig anywhere?? Oh popp¥c@ck! LOL
Justice Jack was giving the Speaker an opportunity to show why the costs order should not be made against him, which is the normal thing if you abandon an application, as happened here. The Speaker has chosen not to use that opportunity, so presumably the Judge will make the usual costs order, which can then be enforced like a judgment.
Thank you.
They’re already getting a cell ready … again at Balsam Ghut.
Justice Jack is not a “British Judge”. He is a Judge employed by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Justice Jack’s boss is the Chief Justice, the brilliant daughter of the soil, Dame Janice Perreira. Can the Honorable Speaker not get anything right? Its almost as is he deliberately allows a false impression to be given. I suspect he thinks he is looking very clever, but anyone with a grade-school education can see that he is a b****on at best, and at worst….I cannot say because my comment will get moderated.
Why do you refer to him as “honorable”? His behavior and actions is anything but honorable.
Call it what it is.
Honourable WIllock one thing for sure I will go to war any day or any time with you!
I don’t have time for you.
to wear a sheep’s a** on your head.
The AG wrong the Judge Wrong everybody who is actually lawyers is wrong about the law except the speaker who is not a lawyer.
This man really trying to say everyone wrong but himself. SMH
is hallucinating/ the position went straight to his HEAD and he really believes that he is OMNIPOTENT and he has gotten away with a lot of things before so he thinks it’s the NORM so he he will keep on flexing his tricks /wits/ skills or whatever it takes to try and DE**EVE others
On full display. This person is not fit for office.
Willock needs to be thrown out of the house and made to pay his lawyer and the court cost if he doesn’t then lock him up like how you would lock up anyone who doesn’t pay a fine. This man is getting away with too much its time something is done about him
This won’t happen because the premier has his back and our checkbook. This childish game will be paid for using our hard earned tax dollars.
Speaker must personally pay all the legal costs of his abandoned application ASAP with enforcement by committal!
The Cabinet needs to remove this Individual before he brings more calamity pon the Territory. Who the crap he thinks he is? This ? tripping big time.
“The Virgin Islands must be a place where the rule of law applies to all residents, visitors, all branches of Government, and even personnel of the Commission of Inquiry.” Seems like this fails to apply to the speaker.
Why is this man still the speaker? Can his appoint be revoked? Just wasting tax payers money because there is a budgetary allocation?
Sickening and damaging to the HOA and the BVI by extension.
Now hw attacking the judge, how far will he go, but I think he is threading on thin ice here, he has to be very careful what he says, he refer to the judge as a British judge, racism right there, anyone can see, certain comments I believe can amount to contempt, he has to be careful, this man needs to be put in a locker, I am fed up of him, he makes me s**k.
When is this guy going to stop trying to muddy the waters? Let the people do their job. Stop wasting time and the taxpayers money with this desperate nonsense. It goes to show when persons were given a job instead of being qualified for it. That’s the BVI culture for yah.
keep giving him enough rope to heng heself bit by bit. Never a dull moment
Master Fahie, it is time to recall the speaker.
The territory is getting close to a million dollars in the red for unnecessary legal expense to satisfy the ego of this guy. please act now because he is never going to stop he thinks there is an open check of my tax dollar just for his use.
The guy does seem to off in r**ker. Not a good situation for the BVI. Concerning paying the legal fees. If it’s not him than guess what, It’s you, the tax payers….
It makes me sick to hear U GUYS refer to this s**k man.as Honorable.s**k s**k
Honorable willcock
there was much disappointment.
Why is Andrew Fahie letting this m**on on steroids continue to embarrass the country? This j**k behaves like he is entitled and indispensable. He and his wig need to be thrown out of the HOA on his **** a**. What is this i***t holding over Andrew head that he allow him to continue his rant is anyone guess.
In the USA, there is a new, terrifying strain of covid in Kentucky, The Tennessee legislature will not allow vaccinated people to get monoclonal antibodies, border patrol officials are whipping Haitian refugees in Texas like a cut scene from Django and here, the never-elected Willock is running roughshod over the legislature AND the budget. What is going on??? Why are we paying attention to b**ly? When did we give B**LYS power over us?
Stupidity is “one of the most powerful dark forces that hinder the growth of human welfare and happiness,” according to this tongue-in-cheek treatise originally published in a 1976 private edition. Cipolla (1922–2000), a professor of economic history at UC Berkeley, argues that, of the four types of human beings (”the helpless, the intelligent, the bandit, and the stupid”), a stupid person is the most dangerous to society because he “causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses.” Though every group has the same percentage of stupid people, their actual numbers are always underestimated, Cipolla posits. Previously, class, caste, and religion guaranteed that stupid people rose to power, but nowadays general elections achieve the same ends by offering stupid voters “a magnificent opportunity to harm everybody else without gaining anything from their action.” In countries on the decline, Cipolla writes, “bandits with overtones of stupidity” proliferate in the corridors of power, while the rest of the population sees an “alarming growth in the number of helpless individuals.” Stupid human beings behave in an irrational and difficult-to-understand way. This does not mean that their actions do not have an impact on your life. On the contrary, you are very likely to remember people who hindered you, causing you difficulties, frustrations, and suffering.
By their illogic actions, such people belong to the genus of the super stupids.”
This boy has been and is daly becoming more of a liability on the country. His ego has outpaced his usefulness. Time to bring this charade to an end that legislators may get back to the business of the people.
Arrogance and ignorance can lead to disaster – disaster at the polls.
He is very d**b
If Fahie tries to pay his bill it will be more trouble for him
I just don’t get it is like the VIP has to many bosses everyone do what they want, say what they want and just get away with it wow .who really running this country
https://www.bvibeacon.com/who-runs-vino-willock-wont-say/
Light on shade
Julian Willock has a controversial past.
He was dismissed from the public service in 2012 following allegations of impropriety, he was briefly imprisoned in 2016 after he allegedly missed scheduled court dates, and he has faced multiple legal disputes concerning his website Virgin Islands News Online.
However, the new Virgin Islands Party government appears ready to forgive his alleged transgressions, as the long-time party member was elected and sworn in as Speaker of the House of Assembly on Tuesday at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex.
Mr. Willock has strongly defended himself against accusations arising from his past controversies, and on Tuesday Deputy Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley stood by the government’s choice.
“He’s extremely talented and extremely intelligent,” Mr. Wheatley told the Beacon. “And despite some of his past troubles, he deserves, I believe, a second chance because he has a lot to contribute. I think he will do well in the office of speaker.”
In his speech to the HOA, Mr. Willock seemed to promise to make the most of that opportunity.
“I pledge that my tenure as speaker will be fair, non-partisan and objective,” he said, adding that he will allow the opposition to be heard while also facilitating government business.
He also promised to uphold civility in the HOA.
“Working together, we will ensure this House is not used under the privilege of immunity to engage in personal attacks against ordinary residents or businesses,” he said.
In recent months, Mr. Willock has been active in VIP politics, attempting to run on the party’s ticket as an at-large candidate this election season, but ultimately losing by four votes in an internal party election.
“I will continue to comply with all the rules in my tenure as speaker,” Mr. Willock told the Beacon after the Tuesday HOA sitting. “The rules require that people in certain positions who have ownership declare. … I will declare all my interests as the law requires.”
the old people had a saying ( BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER ) and then there are those who are playing ( silence of the ? LAMBS
Not naming any esteemed in particular, but just have a look at the link and the thoughts of the theory of laws behind it!
http://harmful.cat-v.org/people/basic-laws-of-human-stupidity/
He who knows that he knows not is a fool
He who thinks he knows all is a fool.
If Joules spends one cent of that money, I hope the AG has the independence and objectivity to sue him personally on behalf of the ppl of the BVI for misappropriation of funds