BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE contentious Boundary Changes matter in St. Kitts and Nevis, which is still before the Courts, could soon be heard as the claimants are in the process of filing their written declarations.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, the Hon. Vincent Byron Jr. told SKNVibes that the Government expects a date to be set shortly on when the case would be heard.
“Papers are being filed and the claims were served. The defence put in their defence and the claimants currently have to respond in filing their affidavits.
“Once that is done, we expect that it would be case management and date set. I expect that to be in October and we would have some movement on that.”
The matter of Boundary Changes was once again thrust into the national sphere last year in run up to the February 16 General Elections.
The then Boundary Commission had recommended several changes to which the then Opposition objected, alleging that it was forcefully implemented.
The Labour Government, led by the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, passed that report through the National Assembly and sent it to the Governor-General to be assented before gazetted.
A lawyer with knowledge of the case told SKNVibes that the matter, scheduled to be heard shortly, involves the report that was actually submitted by the Constituency Boundary Commission which was headed by Peter Jenkins.
According to the attorney, what would be at the center of the case is whether the Commission was bias in putting together the report and if it was defective in its workings.
However, the lawyer explained that the matter is in the hands of the claimants, which is the Government that was then in opposition and had protested against the changes.
In challenging the changes, the Coalition Team Unity had sought to have an injunction barring the General Elections from being held on the proposed new boundaries.
This matter was eventually taken to the Privy Council in the United Kingdom, which reverted to the old boundaries for the Elections.
