Category Archives: Law

Court, Elections, General T&T, Law, Media, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

ELECTION PETITIONS DISMISSED

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…judge says the the EBC was wrong to extend voting time

By Rickie Ramdass
Aug 19, 2016 – trinidadexpress.com

PNM vs UNCVoters display their stained fingers after casting their ballots in the September 7 2015 general election. Photo: Trevor Watson

THE election petitions filed by the United National Congress (UNC) which sought to declare the results in five constituencies null and void as a result of the general election day decision of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to extending the voting time by one hour, has been dismissed.
Continue reading ELECTION PETITIONS DISMISSED →

Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, PNM, Police, Politics

Lead, or shut up

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By Raffique Shah
August 07, 2016

Raffique ShahI don’t know what plans he has for his vacation, but I strongly recommend to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley that he spend all of it in solitary self-confinement seeking guidance from whatever deity or deities he believes in regarding his leadership capabilities.

I don’t care whether it’s an ashram, a monastery or Papa Neezer’s shrine, I honestly believe that Keithos can benefit from a mega-dose of divine intervention to help him determine whether he has what it takes to lead this cussed country out of the morass it has been mired in for decades.
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General T&T, International, Islam, Law, Letters, Politics, Religion

Re Youths and ISIL

lettersTHE EDITOR: So, the reactionaries have only recently ‘discovered’ that scores of youths are leaving Trinidad to fight with ISIL. Predictably, they react by talking about blocking their re-entry, jailing them, etc. In other words, pretty much the same punitive measures they insist on applying to gang violence and school bullying.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Media, PNM, Politics, Sex Crimes

Victim shaming

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Newsday Editorial
Friday, June 17 2016 – newsday.co.tt

Sex And blackmailWE CONDEMN the flagrant violation of the privacy of a wide range of citizens which has been brought to the fore in recent weeks. Further, we also condemn the blatant – and sometimes politically-motivated – instances of victim shaming which have accompanied these incidents.

The matter involving former PNM senator Hafeez Ali has been accompanied by rhetoric from people seeking to score political points.
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Gender, General T&T, Law, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch, Religion, Sex

Is Sat Really a Racist?

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
June 13, 2016

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeLast Sunday, in this newspaper, Sat Maharaj mentioned casually (or perhaps not so casually) that he couldn’t possibly be a racist since I was his best friend and Desmond Hoyte was a close friend. Most of my friends were aghast that Sat should consider me to be among his best friends and, even if we are, they asked, why should he use our friendship to camouflage his racism?
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Gender, General T&T, Law, Politics, Religion, Sex

Sex and the geriatric preachers

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By Raffique Shah
June 01, 2016

Raffique ShahIt is amazing, though not surprising, how easily our people can be distracted from the important issues that we face as a nation, currently galloping crime and an economy in crisis.

Last week, everyone, from captain to crook, was consumed in debate over a rather stupid statement that Harrypersad Maharaj, issued on behalf of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), which called on Government to not change existing laws that allow for Muslim and Hindu girls, aged 12 and 14 respectively, to be legally wedded.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Kidnapping, Law, Media, Murder, Violence

8 not guilty, retrial for two: Vindra Naipaul-Coolman murder trial

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By Rickie Ramdass
May 31, 2016 – trinidadexpress.com

Vindra Naipaul-CoolmanEIGHT of the ten men on trial for the murder of businesswoman Vindra Naipaul-Coolman, were found not guilty of the crime this afternoon.

Retrials have been ordered in the case of the two other murder accused.

The verdicts were announced at around 5.30p.m in the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain before Justice Malcolm Holdip.
Continue reading 8 not guilty, retrial for two: Vindra Naipaul-Coolman murder trial →

General T&T, Hindu, India, Law, Media, Politics, Religion

Go to hell Mr Archbishop, says Sat

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By Laurel V Williams
Tuesday, May 31 2016 – newsday.co.tt

Go to hell Mr Archbishop, says Sat“Go to hell!”.

That was the “message” Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) Satnarayan ‘Sat’ Maharaj sent publicly for Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph Harris in light of the controversial debate on child marriage and the law.

“Mr Archbishop and all you other people, look at the mote in your own eye before you point out the mote in the eye of the Hindu.
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Gender, General T&T, Law, Media, PNM, Politics, Religion

The Child Bride—Dularie’s story

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By Ria Rambally and Rosemarie Sant
Monday, May 23, 2016 – guardian.co.tt

Dularie Baboonie KanhaiAs the debate rages on over laws on child marriage, there is scepticism from an elderly woman who was married at the age of nine, before there were even any marriage laws in this country.

Today Dularie Baboonie Kanhai says she had no regrets about her marriage, she and her husband had a good life which produced ten children and a happy home. But she is sceptical whether young people now have the stamina and the mindset to get married at that age.
Continue reading The Child Bride—Dularie’s story →

Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, PNM, Security

Gap between intelligence and action

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By Raffique Shah
May 22, 2016

Raffique ShahReally, it does not bother me that the Strategic Service Agency (SSA), or any other State intelligence agency, from the AIA to the ZIA, might want to peep through my back door, monitor what I am writing now, check my email before I do, or listen in on my telephone or family conversations at my home.

I have long accepted that with the sophisticated technology available to them, indeed to anyone who might want to “macco” people, the privacy that we once enjoyed, or thought we did, has ceased to exist.
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