State of emergency declared in TT
THREE senior attorneys have been appointed by the acting Chief Justice to sit on the state of emergency (SoE) tribunal.
Deborah Peake, SC, was appointed chairman of the tribunal while its members are Ian Benjamin, SC, and Lee Merry, SC.
Their appointments were announced in a gazetted notice signed by acting Chief Justice Nolan Bereaux on January 2.
On January 2, Newsday was told four attorneys approached to sit on the tribunal – all senior counsel – declined. When contacted, the Judiciary asked for additional time to respond to Newsday’s questions on the appointment of the tribunal’s members.
The gazetted notice was sent to media houses by e-mail. On December 30, the President declared a state of emergency due to escalating gang-related violence.
>
The state of emergency was invoked to counter threats to public safety and disruptions to essential services.
The emergency regulations grant extensive powers to law enforcement, including detentions, restrictions on movement, and limitations on speech deemed prejudicial to public order.
The regulations also provide for the setting up of a tribunal to receive complaints from anyone detained under the SoE. The members of the tribunal are to be appointed by the Chief Justice.
