Castries, Saint Lucia. June 13th, 2023 – A few years ago, Allen Chastanet made serious statements about me which I was advised were defamatory as it alleged that I was involved in corruption during my tenure as High Commissioner in the UK.
I have no doubt that he did so for political expediency to damage my reputation, integrity and my career and done out of spite and malice as his accusations were baseless, untrue and he knew that.
My case was filed and pursued under the laws as it was known to exist in Saint Lucia.
Allen Chastanet defended his actions by using the English statute Law and not the Saint Lucia statute law that has always been used in Saint Lucia.
Our law as was known did not allow the type of defence that was presented by him. Accordingly, an application was brought within the Defamation case for the High Court to
determine, which law applied, to allow the case to be dealt with on its merit at Trial.
In the High Court, the Learned Judge ruled that it is Saint Lucia law which applies.
This decision was then appealed and the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal ruled no, English Statue Law which applies and not merely the common law.
At that point, I could have moved on and proceeded with the case. However, I felt strongly that it cannot be right that a pre colonial wording in our Civil Code which allows for the
importation of English Law into Saint Lucia, can override our Constitution which says
that only our Parliament can make laws for our Country.
The Privy Council has just ruled that the Court of Appeal was right and in matters relating to contracts and torts it is the laws of England that are enacted in their Parliament that applies.
I strongly think it is an unfortunate decision for our Country and it undermines the legal jurisprudence of Saint Lucia and indeed exposes lawyers in Saint Lucia to professional negligence law suits for advising their clients on what they thought was the proper law of the land.
Moreso, Saint Lucians would not even know which laws applies to Saint Lucia as they would have to research English Laws each time, they feel aggrieved to know if they have any legal grounds for action.
The decision cannot be appealed any further and as such all that is left to be done is
await the advice of the Attorney General on the corrective measures that needs to be
taken to ensure that the law of Saint Lucia is certain and not left with such ambiguity.
I believe that our Constitution is supreme and that we have the sole right to make
laws for ourselves.
It is left to Saint Lucia to regain an important aspect of our independence in making it beyond any doubt, that our law as an independent and sovereign state, would always apply.
As it relates to my case against Allen Chastanet, I will be consulting my lawyers on the next steps in the Hearing.
SOURCE: Parliamentary Representative for Castries South. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information Dr. Ernest Hilaire.
Whatever bad has been befallen the SLP including the speaker is as a result of your deceptive and ill treatment of those who supported you. Good can never come to the SLP. You guys used people with good intentions, who wanted what was best for country, made them work their butts off for a victory only to kick them to the side in favor of turn coats and FFF who never lifted one finger in the fight. Do good and good will come to you. Yall fight and keep down your very own that is why you will always face fight down and losses because yall did not do good by your very own. Don’t expect me to sympathize because I am one who was given the boot by your guys. Sorry but what goes around comes around. And you sir, just start to pay legal fees because you refuse to accept that everyone knows that you are not as straight laced as you want to appear.
Yeah, Yeah Hilare, you definitely sound like a loser. The highest court has ruled and there is nothing you can do at this point. Consulting your lawyer is a waste of time. Where else can you go ? Can I advise you to bring back the SUV back to the state of SLU. Remember in your own words, ” I am now in Government and I can do what I want.” I guess the judges heard the comment and sent you a strong statement. It is not always your way – Chas has you and your government 3 – 0. We have a case with RF, he is next. I wonder how much you will have to pay Chas now ? Good luck on your next move.
Thank God for the impartiality of the Privy Council and sound, fair rulings based in laws developed over centuries. Note with disgust that if it does not suit him, a parliamentarian may advocate to change the law using the excuse of colonialism again to shade their incompetence. This is why they have forced the CCJ upon the good people of St. Lucia without a referendum. The lawyers in the ruling party might believe that they are mini-gods, superior-beings who must control everything including the Constitution and be the directing paymasters of the CCJ. Their contemptuous arrogance and mixing with shady characters will be their downfall.
OHOOOOO so now precolonial law words cant override the saint lucian law but nothing is being done about precolonial laws that need to be revised? For instance hanging, yall see of course is only when it hits home and when it applies to them its an issue
So now the problem is the law. smh! We are starting to see right through you guys
Boo woo, look who us crying now.
Cue SLP will try to change the constitution to suit their narrative again. We must truly be appreciative that there is a backstop legal protection that cannot be interfered with nefarious politicians with cloudy pasts. St. Lucia is in a dangerous place with this cabal in power.
You see that is why these men was in the ccj bordah like that because they was afraid of the privy council not giving them right. Poor jab minister but you taste the real honest law not your friends in the ccj.
” I believe that our constitution IS SUPREME and that we have the SOLE RIGHT to make laws for ourselves”. In the year O Lord June 2023 Well Said, well stated Doc For this shame ruling the Massa loving, Uncle Tom, House Negros cannot understand or see the need to have The CCJ as Saint Lucia final court of appeal. Clowns are rallying behind this decision, they are TOO DUNCE to see the ramifications this may pose for them in the near future if they have any pending civil litigations, their should be plenty sweat running down the backs on the likes of United PAC it should be red hot around now.
How much off our tax paying dollars will be wasted in all these legal disputes. It’s about time these ministers use their own money when they decide to take every single petty matter to court…
My.My.My. we have come a longway. From the party that was designed to uplift the poor and fight the tyranny of the rich to being the part of the rich. We have truly lost our way. The children of the poor who left to go school have come back not to free us but to continue the tyranny from colonialism. They have forgotten the past and only want to dominate the rest of us. I am truly disappointed with what we have become and thankful that the true founders of the labour part are not here to see this travesty .Mr. Hilaire,I had hope in you.
Mr .Pierre you too.
But now I realize that you have become worse than the evil that you claim to fight.
I am not sure.the SLP will ever regain it’s true calling,but I am positive it is not with this generation of politicians.
I will not be sorry to see the end of this reign.
St Lucia needs to heal and it begins with your exit.
I will
Let the sue begins, interesting developments.
Can the special prosecutor investigate rover-gate now?
For a supposedly educated individual with a PHD surrounded by a string of top notch lawyers what a poor excuse. So the takeaway from Helaire excuse is that of the case had been heard by the CCJ he would have won. Maybe that is where he plans to appeal the decision 🤔 😄 🤣 what a clown. Bottom line the usual SLP playback throw some mud some will stick and cause confusion.
In St. Lucia, the people are further removed from the corridors of power and are at the mercy of an arcane judicial system. The elites by virtue of their class, education, and wealth are well equipped to manipulate and subvert the system willfully. St. Lucia’s judicial system is a replica of old colonial laws and tenets. The elites including members in the top echelons of both the SLP and UWP are comfortable with the colonial legal system until it ceases to serve their interests. On the other hand, the populace who are on the receiving end of bad judgments has to contend with a system antithetical to their way of life. The people have in earnest implored both governments to implement constitutional reforms only to have both parties reject the notion. The current SLP-led government has a supermajority in parliament but is acting like an opposition party. They are acting like the goody, goodies which Confucious called the thieves of virtue.
Furthermore, the SLP is also the cause of our problems in St. Lucia today. In 1997 and 2002, the party had successive supermajority in parliament. Did Kenny implement any fundamental changes? Dr. Anthony had no interest in constitutional reform, universal healthcare, a minimum wage, or any of the progressive values he wants to champion today because he is no longer prime minister and can reach out for rhetorics that he doesn’t understand. I digressed just to make the point that if the SLP-led government had put all its ducks in a row we wouldn’t be going through this legal wrangling with the Privy Council. The biggest betrayal to the people is political cowardice as demonstrated by the SLP.
Pompous prick! In the words of PJP “You lose” So what if his defense is supported by English law. Did not our law come from English law? So why not? Was it or was it not defamation?
I guess Chastenet made you eat your words that “You are in government now and have the state machinery at your disposal to go after those who supposedly wronged you” I wish the SLP would focus on governing and not settling the personal scores of two little men with big egos. Take control PJP. You have two men destroying your legacy. When you have a government doing good things like the Youth Economy, Corruption Index reduction and this is being overshadowed by court cases against the Speaker etc then it is time for the government to do some serious introspection. Fix it Mr. Pierre. Ca pa Laba. Kenny Anthony would never!
I’m not commenting on the Chastenet/Hilaire roro. That is pure politricks that doesn’t change anything for Lucians. But in 2023 for any Caribbean country to rely on some old white racist judges in England to be making legal judgments is a complete embarrassment. Why even bother with pretending independent?
Shows you exactly what the UK thinks of you Ernest. The arrogance of you thinking that the very country that you tried to defraud would support you beggars belief. Little boy get your arrogant head out of the clouds…. we know what you are and no attempt at trying to convince us otherwise will change that. That is justice for all those who supported you and who you viciously undermined and kicked aside once you used them. That is justice for the people you bad mouthed and made to look incompetent just to cover up your own short comings. That is justice for those you used and now have no use for. That is your karma little boy. Look at you now….a national disgrace
Go ahead cry baby, and no one damaged your reputation or integrity cause you personally did a good job in self distrusting your image as we all knew it by all the wheeling and dealing with this Range Rover. It’s ashame you now want to be a cry baby when the very Caribbean court of appeal that you are so supported of and the privy council both saw your back door deals for what it is. You can only fool a few uninformed, gulible and stupid people who drink your red cool aide. We who can think for ourselves see right through you and the crooked cabal. So yes y’all will continue to lose against Chas abuse he can afford to stand to y’all none sense, and that’s why y’all tryin to silence him but y’all back will continue to be against the wall. We will stand with Chas to stand against the injustices of the cabal, so all of y’all go cry me a river looser.
@ Tee White – stop bringing racism into the discussion. Not all British judges are old or even white for that matter, so where does that leave your “argument”? Stick to the point ie where the Law stands in a post colonial independent nation. As for the two politicians involved, petty, ego-driven individuals.
lol look who is crying daddy daddy they take my toys now LMAO
yeah boy this is the third time if not fourth Chastanet put yall in yall place in court back to back to back. He give yall sapat and douce bal. Why yall are concerned about yall EGOS and wasting tax payers money in losing law suits He is concerned about doing things the right way and that we still have some form of democracy that should not be taken for granted and trampled upon. You dont see Pierre dont have time to take Chas to court cause he know its a waste of time and more tax payers money and on top of that will still lose.
The comments always seem to degenerate to some kind of blatant racism.The labour party in the UK had to deal with anti-Semitism in its ranks. Strangely some of the most anti-Semitic members were of Asian and African descent. But to give them credit they dealt with it. The SLP must look at its members and rank and file and stamp out the rampant racism in its ranks. This is not good for our international image or tourism. Yes, we had a whitish minority prime minister. So what. The UK has an prime minister of Indian descent, a foreign minister of African descent, a home secretary of Indian descent and a trade minister of African descent. The UK has also had an African chancellor of the exchequer and 18% of the Boris Johnson cabinet were ethnic minorities. The US has had a minority president. People need to grow up with their ingrained rabid racism. Unfortunately there seem to be members of the press here that openly express their own racism around their friends and coworkers.
St Lucia times stop hiding people’s comment on this very important issue. You have a duty to this country and your readers. The courts have already decided on this matter. The public is free to give their verdict for and against. Stop stifling free speech!
No Sir, u destroyed ur own reputation when u chose to defraud the govt of StLucia by trying to get away with not paying taxes on the range rover for ur brother. If u hadnt done that, we wudnt be here today so try again Sir
SLTN post my comment and stop being biased.
Imagine the UK knows enough about this man to know he is guilty and nothing said was defamatory. Yay Privy council. Imagine this man ate and benefitted from the colonials and now wants to take a faux moral high ground. When you were on your perch as High Commissioner these are the people you hang out with, even denying other staff members the opportunity to do so. Remember the whole deception started with YOU trying to avoid taxes on a vehicle which you would have been exempt from had you not tried to play like a know it all and ask a simple question. All your shenanigans was simply an attempt not to pay UK taxes. What does that say about the type of people we select to represent us in office overseas. SLP needs to stop insulting us with bad representation in our overseas offices and stop rewarding bad behaviour. Imagine now, this man is a main decision maker in deciding who is put into whatever post and he is wicked and bias about it too, when he himself was a bad representative for us and brought a lot of bad press on our island when he was stationed overseas.
Am i to believe that the lawyers who study law in the UK should go back to school at UWI because the english law don’t apply to us?
Wow.
THE LAWYERS WHO STUDIED IN THE UK, LET ME HEAR YOUR TAKE ON THIS MATTER. PROVIDING YOU HAVE A VOICE.
The Privy Council simply confirmed the incompetence of your lawyers as it relates to the interpretation of our laws. The common law that you were relying on as our “statute” was imported into St. Lucia from England. So if that same law says where our law (common law) is silent, we shall import the laws (statute) of England, why would you have a disagreement with the ruling of the Court of Appeal and the Privy Council. Do you believe that you and your lawyers understand the laws better than all these judges put together, that you will speak about the Honorable Privy Council in such disparaging manner? This is shameful and reprehensible behavior on your part as a minister. If we were not yet independent, you would definitely have to resign, on the basis of that statement alone. Neither the court of appeal, nor the Privy Council, have interfered with statute from St. Lucia. What they have done is to correctly apply the common law which still forms part of our existing laws. Do not try to mislead the people, this is not the house of assembly and we are certainly nothing like the speaker.
Well, well, well, Chas is wiping the floor with those incompetent hacks. Instead these infantile pillocks get in with the business of the people, all they seem to want to do these days is celebrate their majority and carry on campaigning while they are the incumbent….bunch of clowns…see how dangerously the nation teeters on tyranny when these wanna be elites take the electorate as fools…I will be in my Chaise Longue sipping my Château Neuf du Pape 1789 vintage while waiting for the next politician to receive a bloody nose while I count down the days to the next general election….
If the ruling was against Chas and in your favour it would be fair….Stop with the obsession. Chas is just one person. Go govern the damn country. Su honte. Continue with your legal team. Nonsense