Looking into the heart of the issue one cannot miss what is being publicly said on all sides where the entitlement of such awards and recognition are concerned and I maintain my initial position that this exercise has had the effect of forever cheapening both the elevation and the recognition that Silk represents. Attorney General Anand Ramlogan is behaving like a spoilt child citing precedents that suits his case in defense of his elevation not realizing that the very people to whom the institutions of State belongs are having a hard time dealing with the stench of his self appointment. His response that perhaps we should do away with the honor altogether further underscores his immaturity as he seems to be of the view that if the game cannot be played the way he wants it played then he will take 'his' ball and go home. The fact remains that there ARE men and women of the highest integrity and of such significant legal ability who SHOULD be honored among their peers, and having access to an age old tradition and a 'club' to be counted among men and women of sterling reputation historically is an asset that lifts the entire profession and should not be done away on the whims of one man.
Regardless of and despite the past actions of others and who may or may not have raised their voices against them then or since does nothing to change the fact that wrong is wrong and Mr. Ramlogan is demonstrating exactly why he should not be elevated simply because in his quest for self glorification he is demonstrating little or no regard or respect for what the honor is supposed to represent among his peers, future juniors and the society as a whole.
Further contributing negatively to this sordid mess is the elevation of Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar who, despite rising to high political Office, is woefully unqualified for Senior Counsel status based on the standards set for elevation. Making such a significant promotion a token to be claimed by politicians could possibly contribute to the politicizing of the judiciary, a most dangerous precedent and probably the most potentially destructive of all the possible side effects of this embarrassing exercise.
The layman and the taxpayer did not intrude into this but had it thrust upon him, and now that it has been, he deserves the respect of having the intentions of the institutions to which he gives his almost blind allegiance maintained. These high level blunders in a society where words like integrity, convention and tradition are important would have been concluded with all those responsible for the fiasco stepping down so as to protect the Offices they hold, and that may well be where the conversation needs to be.
Look, for this to stop being a political mess we have to stop dealing with it from a 'side' and treat the matter instead with the respect it is supposed to deserve. Former Chief Justice Satnarine Shama's suggestion is, to my mind, the quickest way forward to restore the integrity of both the honor and the profession and separate the powers once again and the legal fraternity should convene a meeting to discuss the options available based on what already obtains throughout the Commonwealth. The only urgency here is the prevention of what just occurred from ever happening again and dealing with and managing any adverse fall out in the interest of preserving the integrity of the Judiciary and the legal profession in its entirety. There are lessons to be learned here in every sphere of national life and those lessons must not be lost in our haste to put this behind us. Perhaps the best one is that power should not be treated as a means to self enhancement but used instead as an opportunity to truly serve the people.
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