A LAW SHOULD BE PASSED TO DENY COSTS TO SMITH

The press has reported that the case of the illegal migrant Rony Jean has been delayed once more due to the histrionics of Attorney Fred Smith. The last hearing was Friday 9 February and it is now adjourned to Monday 12 February.  Mr. Smith included in the draft consent order a paragraph that would have had the government agree to allow him to apply for citizenship while the case was proceeding.  The government could not agree.  This is typical Fred Smith.  We think that the Government in addition to amending the laws on migration to reverse the justice’s decision that he must be given a status while in The Bahamas, that the law on costs awardable in the Supreme Court should be amended to deny any costs for matters involving immigration issues.  Each side should be made to bear their own costs.  This will cut off the oxygen that fuels this for Fred Smith.  Right now Mr. Smith and his human right advocacy is a profit centre for his firm.  He is fleecing the Government in these cases.  Here is what the Attorney General Carl Bethel had to say to the press on Saturday 10^th February:

“We will continue in our discussions with the other side. What is most important to us from a policy point of view is that we have a clean, unimpeded and rapid approach to the Court of Appeal without side issues and we can have a clear determination of all of the legal issues posed by this case by the Court of Appeal. That is the intent and I think both sides to this issue share the same strategic goal and whatever the impediment that occurred today was, I’m sure we will find a way to get over that on Monday so we can cease bothering Justice Hilton and get before the Court of Appeal where we can get an authoritative determination of these issues. They’re never going to be settled at this level because there is a ruling; one party agrees, the other party does not. We have to go to another tribunal and get there as quickly as possible.”