Early this morning the Supreme Court of Judicature Amendment Act 2011 was passed in Parliament.
It was around 12:30 when the Act was passed, after much debate by MPs from both sides which started late Friday night.
Nineteen members voted in favour, while nine voted against.
The changes to the legislation was strongly criticised by the Barbados Labour Party which charged that Government was only amending the legislation to allow for United States based Barbadian jurist Marston Gibson to become the island’s next Chief Justice.
Under the current leglisation, Gibson would not be eligible for that post because he has not practised law in Barbados or in another part of the Commonwealth for a period, or periods amounting in aggregate to 15 years or more. The new legislation, however, would allow for the candidate for the office to be practising in a Commonwealth or “common law”jurisdiction – that would include the United States.
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