CASTRIES, St. Lucia, May 11, CMC- Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre Monday said the government would await directions from the Office of the attorney General with regards to a recent High Court ruling awarding EC$2.97 million (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) in damages to two men who were unlawfully detained in prison for decades after being found unfit to plead.
“But this one, the Attorney General has to advise on whether it’s going to be appealed. But it’s a huge amount,” Pierre told a post Cabinet news conference.
Justice Alvin Shiva Pariagsingh last week, in what has described as one of the most serious constitutional violations in the country’s history, awarded Anthony Henry EC$1.25 million in compensatory damages and EC$100 000 in vindicatory damages, while Francis Noel was awarded EC$1.5 million in compensatory damages and EC$120 000 in vindicatory damages. The Attorney General was also ordered to pay costs, with statutory interest of six per cent per annum to apply to the remaining sums until payment is made.
The case returned to the High Court after the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ruled that the men’s constitutional right to personal liberty had been breached. According to the court, Henry was detained for about 24 years and Noel for more than 32 years.
Justice Pariagsingh said the breach was not a mere technicality but a “prolonged and systemic failure” by the State.
“The claimants were effectively forgotten within the criminal justice system for decades,” the judge noted, adding that the case was without parallel in Saint Lucia and fell “within the most serious category of constitutional violations”.
Prime Minister Pierre acknowledged that there is a long delay within the justice system, noting however that opinion makers in the country “seem to not to make the distinction between the separation of powers”.
He said the legislature passes the law and the judiciary enforces the legislation.
“We pass the laws, we put the resources in, we’ve just had the swift justice programme, we have put the resources, we’ve put the money, everything in.
“But, in fact, they have no control over what happens in the court. Absolutely no control. So, in many of these cases, it’s a matter of the system having what the system calls its own checks and balances.
“So, in terms of sharing blame, all I can do in the legislature is to give the resources for it to happen. That’s all I can do. These justice delays are a very serious issue. Very serious issue. They have to be remanded for years.
“But, we have another problem. We have a shortage of criminal lawyers. Because lawyers don’t think the criminal justice system is lucrative enough. So, they have lack of criminal lawyers.”
Pierre said that the government is moving towards having two police officers study law on an annual basis adding that the “justice system has been in a situation for decades that we are trying to fix.
“This is why I’ve set up this swift justice court. A dedicated court with a judge to deal with this backlog of cases. And I hope that we get some success in that matter,” Pierre said, adding that the police themselves would tell you, even though they arrest a suspect, that might just be the first of a thousand steps before the matter would go to trial.
“And oftentimes, you hear law enforcement, you hear attorneys speaking about the delay, as you’ve said, in the courts. Sometimes courtrooms are not ready. Sometimes they have issues getting evidence. Sometimes they have issues getting witnesses.”.
Pierre said that the government has also taken steps to enhance the situation as it regards the forensic lab as well as enhancing the witness protection programme
“So there’s a whole series of steps that the government has taken to enhance the justice system,” he said, adding “I see a glimmer of hope”.
Pierre also condemned last weekend murders that left 64-year-old, Charmaine Pearl Ramsay, a former police officer who lived in his Castries south constituency, dead. The second victim, Sheston Duncan, died from his injuries a few hours later at the hospital on Saturday night.
Pierre said he met with the high command of the police force “and they’ve given me the assurance that they will take all necessary steps to prevent the people who committed these crimes to justice.
“It’s a very violent situation and everyone is concerned, but the police have assured me that they are doing all in their power to take all legal means to make our situation fully under control and to arrest the people who committed these crimes.
“It’s all I can say at the moment on the situation,” Pierre added.
CMC/ph/ir/2026