Live by the sword (A look at Trinidad & Tobago in C21st)

Trial of the Century

By early September 1990, the smoke had cleared and even though one battle had been won. There was another battle that was had to be fought against the oppressor. This was now a legal battle, this battle had to be won.

With a team of  high priced, undefeated lawyers. Among them Mr Gilbert Robertson Queens Counsel, and Mr Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj a prominant Lawyer who advocated for human rights.
He was also known for doing cases pro bono(free of charge), for the lower class in society. Making  a name for himself.

There was also six other attorneys, on this case as well.

Our judicial system is designed after the English system.  After being arrested and charged by law enforcement, there is a Preliminary Inquriry   which happens at the lowest court in the land which is the Magistrate Court.

Then once a prima facie case( sufficient evidence has been presented to try the case), is made out by a Magistrate.

The next  phase is the High Court, where an accused person is tried before a jury of his peers and a Judge mediates, then mets out the suited punishment for the offense committed.

Once a sentence has been handed down by a Judge, the convict has a human right to appeal to a higher court to rehear his case. This Court is known as the Appeal Court in this Country.

After we gained our Independent and Republican status, the powers that be thought it fitting to keep on the highest Court of Appeal in Great Britain, the Privy  Council. Therefore they became the highest Court of Appeal in this land.

The latter of the Courts that were just discussed would in turn be the saviour of these 114 men whose freedom lied in limbo.

So it was in this September month that the Preliminary Inquiry was started at the Chaguaramas  Magistrate Court.

The discrimination didn't end on the 01st August 1990, for the these men and their families of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen. It had just begun.

Learning years after from one of these men that gave their lives for freedom and equality.

That part of their interrogation, was them being blindfolded and made to lie on the ground  the nozzle of a gun placed on their head asking them for the amnesty. 

When they said they did not know who had it or where it was, the gun would be lifted a couple inches away from their head, and fired  causing their ears to hurt. This was done to this individual on many occasions.

One time the bullet ricochet off the ground and grazed him in the back of his head, Up until the day he died he remained with that scar, which I had personally felt.

Even for the families, wives and children were constantly followed and watched 24 hours a day by law enforcement.

There is another story I know where a sister and her two sons who were 5&6 years old at the time.

Went to see their father as he made his way to court which was walking distance from where they were detained.

When the younger son saw his father he some how got from behind the barricade and while running up to his father was pushed down by a soldier.

Needless to say the detainee retaliated  immediately.

During the course of the trial in the Magistrate, High and Appeal Courts the state proved that the amnesty was not valid. Therefore it could never be honoured. The luminous legal minds decided to ask for leave to petition the  Privy Council .

Leave was granted, the ruling came back that the amnesty was binding and should be up held, because the insurgents up held their part of the agreement.

In the year 1992,  the High Court had no choice to up hold a no case submission. 

A true leader always shows leadership qualities.

Imam Abu Bakr when told he was free  to go, remained in his cell  refusing to leave until he had conformation that all the 113 brothers were released and was with their families. When this was confirmed, he then left his cell and walk out the prison a free man.

All Praise is due to God.