BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE constitutional matter challenging the appointment of Attorney-General Jason Hamilton as Senator in the National Assembly has been adjourned until Monday (Feb. 18).
The Motion was expected to be argued this morning (Feb. 14) but applications for amendments left the case adjourned.
With Constitutional lawyer Douglas Mendes now serving as lead counsel for the claimants - Hon. Sam Condor and Hon. Shawn Richards - applications were filed to have the Motion amended and was granted by the Court.
The Court further granted the respondents time to consider the amendments as they were only served with the application this morning.
Speaking with the media following the adjournment, a member of the claimants’ legal team, Constance Mitcham, explained the reasons for the amendments.
“At first we were not clear on how the Attorney-General was appointed. We thought that he was a public officer and then we understood that he was appointed as a Minister. So we thought that the amendment would now clarify. We are now understanding that he is not a public officer, so we believe that the amendment would now clarify that.”
Mitcham said that their team had also struck out the matters relating to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Curtis Martin, as Senior Counsel Mendes had decided they were not necessary at this time and would not be taking it any further.
Senior Counsel for the Speaker, Dr. Henry Browne, QC, told the media that the application for amendment did not catch him off guard, noting that had it not been presented he would have made an application to have the whole Motion struck.
He said that he would be focusing on other aspects of the case relating to the Governor-General, as his Senior Counsel is unable to be present.
The Motion challenging the appointment of Attorney-General Jason Hamilton as Senator in the National Assembly is expected to be argued on Monday, February 18 at 1:00 p.m. with the claimants first presenting their arguments.
