ROADTOWN Tortola, BVI, May 10th 2011 - According to information reaching VINO from its many sources within the judiciary, it’s alleged that the Judicial and Legal Services Commission has placed Magistrate Rosan-Bunbury, who is a native Virgin Islander and seasoned Attorney, on suspension citing misconduct and insubordination. She will continue to receive her full salary pending an investigation into the allegations.
It is alleged, according to VINO’s sources, that Mrs. Rosan-Bunbury refused to carry out certain instructions given to her by Senior Magistrate Valerie Stephens regarding who was to be in charge when Ms.Stephens proceeded on vacation a few weeks ago.
It is reportedly alleged that Mrs. Rosan-Bunbury felt she is next in line to the Senior Magistrate since she had always sat in when Ms. Stephens was on leave. It is further allegedly that Mrs. Rosan-Bunbury was surprised by certain correspondence from Ms. Stephens on the new arrangements to have new Magistrate Tamia Richards left in charge, who was only appointed a few weeks ago.
Callers lashed out at Stephens
However, on Saturday May 8, 2011 on a local talk show aired on JTV channel 55,‘Speak Your Mind’ hosted by Edmund Maduro with co-host Courtney Richard De Castro, callers were not holding back on how they felt about the matter.
Callers demanded that Ms. Stephens, a Jamaican national, should have her contract ended and a local appointed to the post. Another caller claimed that the situation was unfortunate, as it was allegedly inspired by Stephens to put two locals to fight against each other. A caller to the widely watched talk show also chimed that there was an attempt to lock Ms. Rosan-Bunbury out of the court room, but the caller did not say who made that attempt, or if this alleged act was successful.
One of the same callers also said that the newly appointed Tamia Richards does not need to understudy Ms. Stephens and should be appointed to the post now, while another (female) caller to the programme claimed that the senior Magistrate is only in the Virgin Islands (VI) for “the money”.
Stephens threaten legal actions for lies and misinformation
David Archer, Permanent Secretary within the Deputy Governor’s office, also came in for some heavy criticism from angry callers to the controversial TV talk show. One caller alleged that Mr. Archer was trying to issue certain instructions to Magistrate Rosan-Bunbury. It is unclear if this is accurate or what the instructions would have been.
The show’s host Mr. Maduro also claimed that according to the law and the VI constitution, “Archer has no authority to issue directives to a magistrate”.
The judiciary falls under the Governor’s/Deputy Governor’s group of Departments.
In an exclusive interview via phone on Sunday May 8, 2011, Senior Magistrate Stephens told VINO that, “legal actions will be taken for slander relating to the show and against all those who continue to perpetrate these lies and misinformation”.
Efforts to reach Mrs. Rosan-Bunbury were unsuccessful. VINO will stay on this story and up-date its readers when more information becomes available.
Article taken from Virgin Islands News Online
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