The Law Association of T&T (LATT) has distanced itself from claims made by one of its members, Israel Khan SC, at its Inaugural Law Conference last week.
In a statement yesterday, the LATT said Khan, who has been calling for jury trials to be retained, provided no evidence to support his claim that the political directorate and the Chief Justice had contrived to abolish all jury trials. He also claimed that judge-alone trials are more susceptible to corruption than trials before a judge and jury.
Khan made the claims during a presentation at the two-day event at the Hyatt Regency last week.
“Mr Khan provided no evidence to support either proposition, and the LATT is aware of no such evidence,” the law body said, noting that he “has been on record robustly calling for jury trials to be retained”, as his right and “has supported this view with reasoned arguments, and many members of the LATT share his view.”
LATT said, “As far as the LATT is aware, there has been a transparent process of review of jury trials in which the LATT and the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago both participated as stakeholders.
“The LATT has consistently condemned utterances made by politicians and others that impugn or appear to impugn, without evidence, the integrity of members of the Judiciary. It is most unfortunate that it now falls to the LATT to condemn utterances of that nature, falling from the lips of one of its own.”