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The Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) Friday said it remains ‘undeterred in carrying out its mandate’ after Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar said she had ‘no regard for the eat-ah-food filth in the hierarchy’ of the organization.

Persad-Bissessar was critical of the body after it issued a statement on Thursday in which it voiced its its unease over what it described as the ‘hastened and truncated’ process that led to the elevation of Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh to the position of Chief Justice on Wednesday. In its statement on Thursday, the LATT praised Boodoosingh’s ‘tremendous contribution to the nation’s jurisprudence’ and his years of dedicated service as a lecturer at the Hugh Wooding Law School, while also paying tribute to outgoing chief justice Ivor Archie and thanking him for his long service to the Judiciary.

But the LATT, which said that its mission is maintaining and improving the standard, conduct and proficiency of the legal profession here, expressed concern that the constitutional process which governs the appointment of a Chief Justice may not have been properly observed.

LATT said that while the appointment itself was lawful, it could not be satisfied that a ‘proper and reasonable consultation was undertaken’ between the Office of the President and the key constitutional stakeholders, namely the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, as required by Section 102 of the Constitution.

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles told reporters Friday that she remains convinced there was not sufficient consultation before the appointment of the new chief justice insisting that her issue was with the time line of the appointment, not the choice of Justice Boodoosingh to fill the post.

‘The issue is that I laid out very clearly the time frame: 6.30 in the evening while I am in Parliament to bring a letter that had some errors, 8.30 in the morning you seek to deal with that error and 2 pm you appoint. I don’t think it is unreasonable for me to say that is not sufficient consultation.

‘I don’t think anybody disputes that CJ Boodoosingh is someone that is competent. He has been a teacher at the University of the West Indies (UWI) teaching ethics. I don’t think anyone queries his qualification,’ she added.

Boodoosingh was selected and sworn in by acting president Wade Mark on Tuesday, one day after Archie announced he was retiring after 18 years in the position.

Asked by reporters to comment on the LATT statement, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said ‘I have no regard for the eat-ah-food filth in the hierarchy of the Law Association, so their comments mean nothing to me. The Law Association is a defiled and discredited organisation. It is a mouthpiece for lazy, dunce, hungry-mouth PNM(opposition People’s National Movement) senior counsel who loot the treasury’.

She defended the decision by the acting President to move ahead with the appointment of the new chief justice saying ‘Ivor Archie was appointed chief justice one day after Sat Sharma resigned in 2008. CJ Sharma resigned on January 23, 2008, and CJ Archie was appointed on January 24, 2008’.

She also said that in her letters to Mark she made it clear that she had no preference as to whom he selected as Chief Justice.

‘My letters to the acting President are clear. I had no preference,’ she said.

In its statement on Friday and signed by its President, Lynette Seebaran-Suite SC, LATT said it ‘notes the recent comments’ made by the prime minister to its statement on the appointment of the new head of the judiciary.

‘The LATT reaffirms its statutory responsibility to comment on matters affecting the administration of justice and the rule of law. In fulfilling this duty, the Association acts independently, without fear or favour, and in accordance with the highest traditions of the legal profession.

‘The Association emphasises that public discourse on legal and constitutional matters, particularly among holders of high office, should be conducted with mutual respect and regard for the institutions that safeguard our democracy.’

LATT said that it ‘values constructive engagement among all branches of the State’ and that it ‘remains undeterred in carrying out its mandate and will continue to serve the public interest by providing fair and principled guidance on issues affecting the rule of law, while maintaining the dignity befitting its role in national life’.

Jamaica has launched a five-year initiative to address the country’s urban climate and societal challenges by integrating nature-based solutions (NbS) into urban planning and community development.

Dubbed ‘Jamaica Urban Solutions for the Environment’ (J-USE), the initiative is funded by Global Affairs Canada with an investment of four million Canadian dollars (One CDN$=US$0.71 cents) and is being implemented by the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ), which is contributing an additional CDN$1.2 million in support. Nature-based solutions leverage the natural environment to mitigate climate risks, enhance biodiversity, and deliver social and economic benefits to communities.

Pilot projects will be established at the Abilities Foundation, the Danny Williams School for the Deaf and Torrington Bridge in Kingston.

Addressing the launch of the initiative, Water, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Matthew Samuda, commended the programme and the collaborative partnership facilitating it.

‘Canada, over the last 10 years, has been one of our strongest partners for climate action and environmental protection, and I wish to firmly put the Government’s thanks on record for their continued support. Whether it be through central government or entities such as the EFJ, they’re indeed very strong partners of ours,’ he said.

Samuda said that ‘adaptation projects of this nature are important because it acknowledges that infrastructure will never be sufficient to mitigate or to be a part of your adaptation plan.

‘In a country where over 50 per cent of our population lives within our urban centres, this sort of nature-based solution that serves the function of adaptation is incredibly important,’ he added.

Samuda said Jamaica now has the capacity to conduct more informed climate risk analyses through the launch of its climate risk analysis tool – the Jamaica Systemic Risk Assessment Tool (J-SRAT).

‘We have already established the Jamaica systemic assessment. It means we have already assessed the climate risk for all of Jamaica’s infrastructure – public or private; Jamaica Public Service (JPS) and the National Water Commission (NWC) would have worked with us. We have already assessed which roads, drains, everything that needs to be changed, fixed and made stronger.

‘I think we need to overlay the project choices with where there is greatest risk, to see if this can benefit some of those areas. The National Adaptation Plan calls for over five billion US dollars. I believe that estimate is significantly (understated). it is way more than that; so, this is a step in the right direction.

‘Canada partnering with EFJ represents more than just choosing a capable organisation but reflects our commitment to placing decision-making, resources and leadership in the hands of local institutions that really understand their communities’ needs and context,’ Samuda said.

Canada’s High Commissioner to Jamaica, Mark Berman, said the J-USE project reflects a shared vision between Jamaica and Canada to advance climate-resilient, sustainable urban development, while ensuring that climate action delivers inclusive benefits for all members of society.

He said that the project forms part of Canada’s CDN$5.3 billion climate finance commitment, with a targeted focus on supporting small island developing states in advancing climate resilience.

‘This J-USE investment reflects Canada’s recognition that the climate crisis requires urgent innovative responses, especially for countries like Jamaica. Through this five-year four million Canadian dollars initiative, we’re not simply funding micro projects.

‘A key pillar of this initiative is the development of a sustainable funding mechanism that will leverage public and private resources to create an urban environmental solutions fund that continues long after this direct investment ends,’ Berman said.

J-USE project manager, Joni Jackson, said that the initiative comprises three core components, namely the establishment of a sustainable financing mechanism; policy advocacy to promote the integration of nature-based solutions into national policies, plans, strategies, and legislation; and the implementation of gender-responsive, socially inclusive nature-based climate solutions in urban areas.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 rocked Trinidad and Tobago on Friday night, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

The Seismic Research Centre (SRC) at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) said that the quake, which occurred at 7.50 pm (local time) was at a depth of 44 kilometers (km). It was felt 36 km north west of Port of Spain, 61 Km of Arima, east of here and 73 km north west of San Fernando in south Trinidad.

This is the second quake to hit Trinidad within the past 24 hours.

The SRC said that a tremor with a magnitude of 3.5 rattled the country as well as Grenada at around 12.52 pm (local time).

It said that it was at a depth of 53 km and that it was felt 64 km south, south west of St. George’s in Grenada, 104 km north west f Port of Spain and 120 km north west of Arime in Trinidad.

There were also no reports of damages or injuries.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 rocked Trinidad and Tobago on Friday night, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

The Seismic Research Centre (SRC) at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) said that the quake, which occurred at 7.50 pm (local time) was at a depth of 44 kilometers (km). It was felt 36 km north west of Port of Spain, 61 Km of Arima, east of here and 73 km north west of San Fernando in south Trinidad.

This is the second quake to hit Trinidad within the past 24 hours.

The SRC said that a tremor with a magnitude of 3.5 rattled the country as well as Grenada at around 12.52 pm (local time).

It said that it was at a depth of 53 km and that it was felt 64 km south, south west of St. George’s in Grenada, 104 km north west f Port of Spain and 120 km north west of Arime in Trinidad.

There were also no reports of damages or injuries.

Jamaicans and Haitians were bracing for the passage of Tropical Storm Melissa that is expected to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane this weekend.

Weather officials warned of life threatening and catastrophic flash flooding and landslides expected in portions of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica through the weekend. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that the storm is 215 miles, south east of Kingston, and about 225 miles south west of Port au Prince, the Haitian capital.

In Haiti, the Civil Protection Department reported that two people died and another was injured in a landslide in Fontamara, Port-au-Prince, bringing the number of victims of severe weather to three dead and five injured in the past 48 hours.

‘Tropical Storm Melissa exposes the Grand South and West departments to high risks of flooding and landslides, particularly threatening precarious housing and isolated communities. Road infrastructure, already vulnerable in low-lying areas and near rivers, could experience significant disruptions.

‘In addition, coastal communities risk significant material damage due to hurricane-like swells and strong winds. This situation requires maximum vigilance and increased preparedness,’ the authorities warn.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the government would be imposing several measures under the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) to help save lives and properties.

He said that the DRMA provides ‘certain powers’ that thegovernment and other state entities ‘will use for the protection of lives and property’.

In addition, he is warning people against engaging in price gouging as the population stock up on non-perishable and other essential items amid fears that ‘there may be persons tempted to raise their prices’.

‘We will not have that in a disaster, and there the minister of industry, investment and commerce will shortly sign an order to this effect,’ Holness said.

In its latest bulletin, the NHC said that a Hurricane Watch is in effect for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-Au-Prince and Jamaica

‘Melissa is moving slowly toward the north near two miles per hour (mph) and that a turn to the west is forecast on Saturday and this general motion is expected to continue through Monday.

‘A turn to the north and northeast is forecast on Tuesday and Wednesday. On the forecast track, the center of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica early next week and could be near or over eastern Cuba by the middle of next week’

The NHC said that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 65 mph with higher gusts. ‘Rapid intensification is now forecast over the next several days, and Melissa is forecast to become a hurricane tomorrow and a major hurricane by Sunday,’ it added.

The NHc said that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area in Haiti later this weekend and Jamaica beginning late this weekend or early next week.

‘Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in Haiti tonight or Saturday and in Jamaica late Saturday into Sunday,’it said, adding that ‘Melissa is expected to bring total rainfall of 15 to 25 inches to portions of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica through Tuesday, with local maxima of 35 inches possible across the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti.

‘Additional heavy rainfall is likely beyond Tuesday. The uncertainty at that time range precludes exact storm totals. Potentially catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are

possible across portions of Jamaica and the southern Dominican Republic, while catastrophic flash flooding is anticipated in southern Haiti.’

Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake says the hurricane preparedness plan of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), has been fully activated and members will be deployed to protect critical infrastructure .

‘Our operational response which includes our quick response, our highway patrol and mobile units are briefed and ready for deployment. We have reviewed and updated our shelter security plans,’ Blake told a media briefing on Friday,’ adding ‘we also have an operational management team specifically looking at the Corporate Area given the number of vital infrastructure that exist there’.

He said that the JCF’s highway patrol has been dispatched to monitor key arterial routes and flood-prone corridors, while ‘mobile patrols will maintain security in our business and residential districts and the quick response unit stands ready to support evacuation, rescue and post-impact security’.

Hoteliers and loccal tourism stakeholders are also bracing for the passage of the weather system.

Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, urged all stakeholders to act with safety as the priority, describing preparedness as the foundation of recovery.

Bartlett noted that the ministry is working closely with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the Meteorological Service of Jamaica to safeguard the sector.

‘Resilience has been our trademark. our rallying cry. It has long been at the heart of our tourism success. We have learnt from experience that preparedness is key.

‘I urge all our stakeholders. all our tourism workers. to activate their internal disaster risk management systems and ensure that safety remains the top priority,’ he said, adding ‘let us remain calm, vigilant, and united in our efforts to protect both our people and our industry. Remember the mantra. Preparation, not panic’.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Oct 24, CMC -Ten former Caribbean Community (CARICOM)leaders have reiterated the need for the Caribbean to be maintained as a zone of peace, saying that they are impelled to urge a pull back from military build up to avoid ‘any dimunition of peace, stability and development within our regional space that has the potential to pull the region into conflicts which are not of our making’.

The leaders, including the former Jamaica prime ministers, P.J. Patterson and Bruce Golding, as well as former Guyana president Donald Ramotar, said in a joint statement that when Caribbean Leaders had gathered at Chaguaramas in 1972, with the then Trinidad and Tobago prime minister Dr. Eric Williams as the chairman, ‘it was accepted that peace was a dominant factor in shaping the social and political framework for Caribbean development.

‘As a result, the ‘zone of peace’ has been codified and become a cornerstone in the architecture of our Caribbean sovereignty and the axis for our relationship with the countries of our Hemisphere, Europe and the world at large.’

The other former leaders who have signed the statement are Baldwin Spencer of Antigua and Barbuda, Said Musa and Dean Barrow of Belize; Freundel Stuart of Barbados, Edison James of Dominica, and Tilman Thomas of Grenada.

Former Trinidad and Tobago prime minister, Dr. Keith Rowley in a Facebook message supporting the statement, noted that on his 76th birthday ‘ I find it necessary and dutiful to sign on to this historic statement of former heads of CARICOM.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Oct 24, CMC -Ten former Caribbean Community (CARICOM)leaders have reiterated the need for the Caribbean to be maintained as a zone of peace, saying that they are impelled to urge a pull back from military build up to avoid ‘any dimunition of peace, stability and development within our regional space that has the potential to pull the region into conflicts which are not of our making’.

The leaders, including the former Jamaica prime ministers, P.J. Patterson and Bruce Golding, as well as former Guyana president Donald Ramotar, said in a joint statement that when Caribbean Leaders had gathered at Chaguaramas in 1972, with the then Trinidad and Tobago prime minister Dr. Eric Williams as the chairman, ‘it was accepted that peace was a dominant factor in shaping the social and political framework for Caribbean development.

‘As a result, the ‘zone of peace’ has been codified and become a cornerstone in the architecture of our Caribbean sovereignty and the axis for our relationship with the countries of our Hemisphere, Europe and the world at large.’

The other former leaders who have signed the statement are Baldwin Spencer of Antigua and Barbuda, Said Musa and Dean Barrow of Belize; Freundel Stuart of Barbados, Edison James of Dominica, and Tilman Thomas of Grenada.

Former Trinidad and Tobago prime minister, Dr. Keith Rowley in a Facebook message supporting the statement, noted that on his 76th birthday ‘ I find it necessary and dutiful to sign on to this historic statement of former heads of CARICOM.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a US$90 million loan to support improvements in the reliability and efficiency of electricity service in The Bahamas.

It said that this operation is the second in a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) approved in 2020 to finance larger programmatic support to the energy sector and promote renewable energy in the country. The IDB said that this new operation aims to enhance the efficiency of electricity metering, optimize grid management, and strengthen the institutional capacity of the state-owned utility, The Bahamas Power and Light Company (BPL).

It will benefit approximately 352,000 people across New Providence and the Family Islands through installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and modern smart meters, at no acquisition or installation cost to users.

The smart meters will be equipped with prepayment functionality, allowing BPL customers to better manage their electricity usage in real time. This will be particularly beneficial to vulnerable populations, numbering about 41,000 people.

Residents in the Family Islands will also benefit from an improved monitoring system based on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology, which will enhance electricity-grid management in distribution and transmission networks.

The programme will develop a Geographical Information System (GIS) with digital mapping of existing electrical infrastructure. These developments will improve resilience with faster detection and restoration time, better emergency response, and enhanced quality of electricity service.

Furthermore, it will support enhancements to BPL’s data-management system, reinforce its medium- and long-term energy planning capabilities, improve financial management and corporate governance, and promote capacity building in information technology and big-data analytics.

The IDB said the programme will contribute significantly to the energy transformation reforms currently being implemented by the country, aimed at having more sustainable, efficient, and affordable delivery of electricity services.

The US$90 million loan has a 25-year amortization period, a 5.5-year grace period, and an interest rate based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR).

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has told public servants that they can expect to receive the payment of arrears owed to them by December.

Speaking at a town hall meeting on Thursday night, Browne, who is also Finance Minister, said that his administration intends paying also another salary increase to public servants next year, along with a planned rise in the national minimum wage. ‘I guarantee you that life is getting better for the majority of the people of Antigua and Barbuda, and we will continue to make sure that we empower the people of Antigua and Barbuda,’ he told the meeting.

‘In fact, this year we will certainly make sure we do a back pay hopefully by December for public servants. Next year you’re getting another increase again.

‘And by the way, next year, (we will) increase the minimum wage because we can’t brag that the country growing and developing and you don’t increase minimum wage, we working for you,’ Browne told meeting.

As of January 1, this year, the national minimum wage is none EC dollars (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) per hour.

Browne did not provide specifics with regards to the payment of the back pay, but said that the additional details would be revealed in the coming days.

Last month, the Antigua and Barbuda Public Service Association (ABPSA) had called on the government to sign the long-overdue collective bargaining agreement and resolve outstanding payment issues by mid-October, or face picket action.

The union said that the agreement has been awaiting legal review at the Establishment Division, and the delay is unacceptable given that a new negotiating period for 2024 to 2026 should have already started.

Public servants had received a 14 per cent salary increase two years ago.

FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president, Victor Montagliani along with a six-member delegation from CONCACAF, touched down here on Friday for a one-day visit to the island.

While there, Montagliani and his team met with the Executive of the Dominica Football Association (DFA) and also paid a visit to the DFA’s Technical Centre in Stockfarm.

They also paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, where discussions were held regarding the need to work together to help develop football locally and regionally. Speaking during a welcoming reception, Montagliani said he was impressed to see the progress being made in football in Dominica.

‘.What’s really inspirational is when I come and visit my members, my football family, and see the tremendous amount of work that you do.

‘I know it’s not easy. We all know it’s difficult to keep pushing the envelope, whether its issues of infrastructure, resources, but you are moving the needle,’ Montagliani said.

‘.I see the results. Results are not about winning the World Cup or going to the World Cup, sure of course everybody wants to do that, but the reality is that what football really is, is a journey of a human experience and nothing embodies that more than your president.’

President of the DFA, Glen Etienne said the country was deeply honoured to host Montagliani and his team

‘Your leadership at CONCACAF has been outstanding and visionary under your stewardship.

‘Dominica has received tremendous support from developmental programmes and coaching education initiatives, to assistance in strengthening our competition and improving our football infrastructure,’ Etienne said.

‘You have been a true partner, one who continues to inspire us to build a football system that not only develops talent but also contributes to national pride, unity and community development.’