Black Immigrant Daily News

BELMOPAN, Mon. Oct. 24, 2022

Today, the Senior Courts Bill and 12th Constitutional Amendment were passed in the Senate, finalizing the transformation of the judiciary. Senator Eamon Courtenay says the bill is modeled after the court systems in the Eastern Caribbean and Jamaica, thus the reason for the selection of Chief Justice Madam Louise Blenman, who has served as a justice of appeal on the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. But one objection raised by lead opposition senator, Michael Peyrefitte, highlights a possible conflict, since according to him, the holder of the Chief Justice post would be able to influence decisions in the High Court and Court of Appeal.

He suggested that the Chief Justice would be able to sit on both courts, but the senator for the business community, Kevin Herrera, pointed out that section 189 of the legislation bars the Chief Justice from sitting on cases that she has heard in a lower court. This provision, however, is still not sufficient, according to Herrera.

“The issue that Senator Peyrefitte raised was precisely the one that we have raised as well. We had some significant issues with respect to the apparent conflict,” Senator Herrera said. “With respect to the Chief Justice hearing a case at the High Court and the potential to hear that case as well at the Court of Appeal. It seems as if though there was an attempt to address that issue, in paragraph 189.”

That section of the Senior Courts Bill states, “notwithstanding that the Chief Justice has jurisdiction to hear and determine matters before the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice shall not hear and determine a matter before the Court of Appeal if the Chief Justice presided over that matter when the matter was before the High Court.”

Senator Herrera noted that while he thinks that it was addressed, there is still the appearance of a potential conflict, since the Chief Justice can influence who hears a case in the appellant court.

“If it is in the Chief Justice’s interest that a certain judge who might be more lenient or something on a case, he then can appoint that judge to hear that case in an attempt to influence a potential outcome. While it may have been addressed in paragraph 189, I still think to a certain extent the appearance of it which may give rise to further appeal possibly,” Senator Herrera said.

He suggested that the issue be addressed to ensure the objectivity of the courts is unquestionable and to further strengthen the bill.

Senator Courtenay also posited that there is a difference between controlling a court and controlling judges.

“I have supreme confidence in the Chief Justice, and supreme confidence in the judges of the Court of Appeal, to suggest, even as a matter of perception, that the Chief Justice would sit down and look at judges and try to pick one, and not this one and not the other, is disrespectful and bordering on contempt,” he said.

He went on to point out that the Chief Registrar in consultation with the President of the Court of Appeal, will select the judges who sit on appeal cases, not the Chief Justice.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Please see below full statement from ExxonMobil: 

IRVING, Texas – ExxonMobil today announced two discoveries at the Sailfin-1 and Yarrow-1 wells in the Stabroek block offshore Guyana, adding to its extensive portfolio of development opportunities. ExxonMobil has made more than 30 discoveries on the block since 2015, and it has ramped up offshore development and production at a pace that far exceeds the industry average. 

“Our unrivaled exploration success and accelerated pace of development in Guyana are a testament to our people, decades of experience, technology capabilities and steadfast focus on optimizing all aspects of operations,” said Liam Mallon, president of ExxonMobil Upstream Company. “We are committed to responsibly and safely developing this world-class resource to help meet global demand for secure, reliable and lower-emission energy. Our investments through the pandemic have allowed us to increase supply at this critical time, while creating value for the people of Guyana, our partners and shareholders.” 

The Sailfin-1 well encountered approximately 312 feet (95 meters) of hydrocarbon-bearing sandstone and was drilled in 4,616 feet (1,407 meters) of water. The Yarrow-1 well encountered approximately 75 feet (23 meters) of hydrocarbon-bearing sandstone and was drilled in 3,560 feet (1,085 meters) of water. Both wells were drilled by the Stena Carron drillship.

ExxonMobil’s first two sanctioned offshore Guyana projects, Liza Phase 1 and Liza Phase 2, achieved an average of nearly 360,000 barrels of oil per day in the third quarter. A third project, Payara, is expected to start-up by the end of 2023, and a fourth project, Yellowtail, is expected to start-up in 2025. ExxonMobil is currently pursuing environmental authorization for a fifth project, Uaru. By the end of the decade, ExxonMobil expects Guyana’s oil production capacity to be more than one million barrels a day.

Guyana’s Stabroek block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers). ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is the operator and holds 45% interest in the block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30% interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25% interest.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Minister Rocco Tjon:

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Durante e congreso di Interpol cu a tuma luga siman pasa na India, Minister di Husticia y Asuntonan Social Sr. Rocco Tjon a trata e tematica di combati abuso di mucha. Combati abuso di mucha ta sumamente importante y ta un prioridad pa Ministerio di Husticia y Asuntonan Social y ta den e “beleidsvoornemens” di 2022 – 2025.

            Manera ta conoci, desde inicio, ministerio di Husticia y Asuntonan Social a bin ta traha riba diferente aspecto pa asina brinda e debido atencion na combati abuso di mucha. Asina por bisa cu a percura pa bin cu opleiding pa e unidad di Jeugd en Zeden Politie, a percura pa duna mas training pa e parti di kinder verhoor y a bin cu un kinder verhoor ruimte tambe. A duna training na psicologonan pa asina reenforsa e recherchenan na momento cu ta haci e investigacion pa asina entrega un caso mucho mas solido dilanti huez.

            Banda di esaki, Dr. Vincent Latour ya caba a inicia cu su estudionan den exterior pa asina pronto comberti den e prome dokter forensico di Aruba, cual tambe lo tin su efecto positivo na momento di conduci investigacionnan den casonan di abuso di mucha.

            Tambe por menciona cu desde Augustus a lansa e campaña nacional contra abuso di mucha “Mi Mesun Heroe”, cual ta un programa educativo pa nos muchanan, y ta trata diferente tema den cuadro di abuso di mucha den su totalidad.

            Esakinan ta algun di e hopi proyectonan cu tin andando pa loke ta e tematica aki, y pa e motibo aki, durante e congreso di interpol e delegacion di Aruba a acorda e mocion y danki na e cooperacion cu tin cu Interpol, dentro di poco Aruba tambe lo bay forma parti di e “International Child Sexual Exploitation Database” (ICSE).

            Compartimento di informacion ta esencial, y e ICSE database ta un plataforma global unico, cu ta brinda un colaboracion global estrecho di investigadornan specialisa y dedica na e identificacion di victimanan y ofensornan. ICSE ta integra imagennan, video y tecnologianan di procesamento di “metadata”, “case management” y funcionnan di comunicacion.

            E database aki ta duna investigadornan e oportunidad pa comparti informacion di casonan, coordina accionnan, comparti experticio y aportacion pero tambe conhuntamente adelanta investigacionnan. E ICSE tambe ta actua pa conduci casonan di de-conflicto, pa link investigacionnan paralelo,  y pa preveni investigacion di materialnan relata na casonan cu ya a wordo resolvi. 

            Pues un reunion sumamente positivo, caminda a traves di e laso cu nos tin cu Interpol, Aruba lo bay haya mucho mas asistencia den combati explotacion di mucha na nivelnan nacional y internacional.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Segun Marco Berlis:

ORANJESTAD (AAN); Diabierna mainta Secretaria di Estado señora Alexandra van Huffelen a comparti e grato noticia cu Aruba no ta haya un aanwijzing di RMR. Esaki ta pasobra cu gobierno a adapta e presupuesto 2022 suficiente na e normanan di RMR cu e mester a cumpli cu ne, y asina señora Van Huffelen a elogia e esfuerso di gobierno y su profesionalnan cu nan ta riba e bon caminda.

   Segun Marco Berlis, parlamentario di MEP, ta importante pa Aruba yega na un finanzas y economia sano y cu e por paga su debe y haci inversionan atrobe den e pais. Esaki ta e enfoke di Hulanda, pero tambe di gobierno cu a bin hereda un megadebe cu tabata casi na 90% di nos GDP, sin conta proyectonan PPP aden.

   Cu e decision aki di no duna gobierno un aanwijzing, un etapa nobo ta cuminsa. Un etapa unda cu nos fraccion di MEP a demostra curashi ora di mester a tuma decisionnan y un postura fuerte ora cu mester a trata e tema di 5% back pa ambtenaarnan y tambe e ley di LNT, cu nos fraccion a amendeer.

   Oposicion tabata categoricamente encontra di esaki y a vota CONTRA ambos, e 5% back pe ambtenaarnan y nan tabata kier a pasa e LNT manera e tabata. Dowers a hasta chercha nos fraccion cu e ley di LNT lo bin back y cu nos lo mester pasa esun original.

   Aki bo ta wak cu e ta tuma vision y curashi pa tuma decisionnan cu ta beneficia pueblo. Como representante di pueblo bo mester ta profesional suficiente y alavez tribi di keda na mesa, dialoga, studia posibilidadnan, haci investigacion y esfuerso necesario pa bringa pa pueblo. Hasta si esaki ta contra di e boluntad di Hulanda.

   Tambe mi a expresa na varios ocasion cu nos como Parlamento mester para pa nos pensamentonan y ideanan, y lucha pa nos pueblo, hasta si Hulanda no ta di acuerdo cu algun di e puntonan. Mi ta kere den keda dialoga, para pa loke ta corecto y husto, tin un postura positivo na tur momento cu Hulanda, y asina tambe ta alcansa nos metanan colectivamente. No tur ora nos lo por topa otro, pero como representantenan di pueblo nos mester pone nos pueblo prome. Oposicion no ta dispuesto pa haci esey y ta keda pusha pa aanwijzing, dobla pa tur loke CAft kier sin tene pueblo na cuenta. Sin tene cuenta cu empleadonan di Serlimar, sin tene cuenta cu RWZI, sin tene cuenta cu e homber chikito, y sin tene cuenta cu nan mes, esta Marisol y Mike Eman a aproba y maneha nos pais como ex-premier y ex-voorzitter di Staten y a hiba nos pais den e crisis mas financiero mas grandi den historia di nos pais. Awe Marisol ta haci manera e no sa di nada y no tin culpa, pasobra e ta lider di un Partido nobo. Marisol, bo man y bo actonan ta mes sushi cu esun di Mike Eman! Ambos di boso a zorg pa CAft yega Aruba, ambos a causa y aproba e megadebe y awor boso ta elogia y kier apoya tur punto di CAft cu boso mes a bringa na 2015?

   Cu e declaracion di señora Alexandra van Huffelen, Secretario di Estado di Hulanda, nos pueblo por finalmente wak cu Hulanda ta aproba e maneho di gabinete Wever-Croes-II, ta elogia su progreso y su resilencia. For di akinan un pabien grandi pa minister señora Xiomara Maduro y tur su profesionalnan, minister President señora Evelyn Wever-Croes y henter gabinete! Ban pa mas, pasobra nos no a yega ainda unda nos mester ta!

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