One report shouldn’t damn the BVI — Walwyn
Former legislator Myron Walwyn has cautioned residents about how the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report should be received and has suggested that this should not spell the end for the territory.
“You can’t have one report damning a whole country. You can’t have one report as an indictment on a whole people,” Walwyn said recently on the Talking Points radio show.
Walwyn, who is also an attorney by profession, pointed out that courts in the US as well as courts of appeal in the region make provisions for dissenting judgments.
Even though the court may go one direction on a matter, you will have a dissenting view or dissenting position… There was no dissenting view here [in the COI report],” Walwyn argued.
He said there should not have been just a one-man commission appointed for the inquiry and argued that the COI report itself highlighted that the inquiry was not designed as a tool for in-depth investigations.
In light of this, Walwyn said he was puzzled as to how the COI report could have arrived at a recommendation for suspension of the territory’s constitution.
“If you are saying that… you’re not designed for that purpose, how then do you arrive at suspension of the constitution?” Walwyn questioned. “Most of the stuff [in the COI report], when you read it, you require further investigations into certain things,“ Walwyn argued.
“In the 21st century, there should not even be a consideration for the suspension of the constitution of anybody,“ Walwyn said, echoing recent remarks of Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley.
Walwyn, who is also an attorney by profession, pointed out that courts in the US as well as courts of appeal in the region make provisions for dissenting judgments.
Even though the court may go one direction on a matter, you will have a dissenting view or dissenting position… There was no dissenting view here [in the COI report],” Walwyn argued.
He said there should not have been just a one-man commission appointed for the inquiry and argued that the COI report itself highlighted that the inquiry was not designed as a tool for in-depth investigations.
In light of this, Walwyn said he was puzzled as to how the COI report could have arrived at a recommendation for suspension of the territory’s constitution.
“If you are saying that… you’re not designed for that purpose, how then do you arrive at suspension of the constitution?” Walwyn questioned. “Most of the stuff [in the COI report], when you read it, you require further investigations into certain things,“ Walwyn argued.
“In the 21st century, there should not even be a consideration for the suspension of the constitution of anybody,“ Walwyn said, echoing recent remarks of Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley.
