BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - FOLLOWING the frenzy over media practitioners not being allowed to sit in on a political hearing last Thursday (Feb. 14), the bar has since been lifted and reporters were able to listen to arguments of the case.
Last Thursday (Feb. 14), members of the media and some citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis, who had been closely following the political saga, showed up at the Sir Lee Llewellyn Moore Legal and Judicial Complex only to discover that they could not gain entry to the Court hearing.
It was said that the High Court, which was the intended Circuit for the hearing, was already in use with a criminal matter held in camera, so one of the Magistrate Circuits, which was much smaller, was substituted.
After awaiting entry for quite some time, the media workers were told by a heavily armed member of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force that the room was a small one, it was filled to capacity with counsels of both sides and there was no available space.
The officer said it was for that reason neither media personnel nor members of the public would be allowed to sit in.
News of this barring went viral and was frowned upon by members of the public who were of the view that it was intentionally done.
Yesterday (Feb. 18) however, reporters showed up at the Court not only to find that they would be allowed to sit in on the public hearing but they were also please to find that provisions were made for them to be seated on the left hand side of the Court where they would be able to clearly hear the arguments of counsels on both sides.
According to information reaching SKNVibes, the barring of the media was not on the instruction of the High Court Registrar.
WINN FM’s senior reporter Toni Frederick, on the day in question, had visited the Registrar’s office to enquire why the media workers were barred from entering the Court.
She however met a clerk who indicated that both the Registrar Janine Harris-Lake, and the Court Administrator were in the Courtroom and she could not have assisted the reporters.
Frederick, yesterday, met with the Court Registrar who, while declining to provide details did confirm that she was unaware that the media were told that they could not have entered the Court; a situation which she noted should not have occurred.
“She acknowledged that the Courtroom was crowded, but said that space could have been found for at least one reporter. She assured that at future sittings in the smaller Courtroom she would personally ensure that at least two chairs are reserved for media,” Frederick reported Harris-Lake as saying.
