During the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) briefing on Tuesday, October 1, Dominic Fedee, former Minister of Tourism, Information and Broadcasting, outlined the party’s proposed reforms for Saint Lucia’s justice system.
Fedee, the second deputy leader of the UWP, expressed concern about the current administration’s handling of the system and emphasised the UWP’s intent to make changes.
“The UWP is sure of one thing: we need to make sure that that system is a lot more effective,” Fedee stated, highlighting a need for more efficient court processes and improved witness protection programs.
He asserted that such measures would encourage witnesses to come forward, aiding in resolving crime-related issues across the country.
Additionally, Fedee discussed the UWP’s broader economic strategy aimed at job creation, suggesting the importance of building a robust economy that benefits all sectors of society.
“We will not … build economic opportunities in Saint Lucia in enclaves but create opportunities especially in inner city areas [and] especially in rural communities that are looking for an opportunity,” he said. This approach, he believes, will help alleviate frustration among young, talented individuals who feel overlooked.
Fedee also addressed equality issues before the law, criticising what he described as an imbalance in legal access.
He pointed to the case of Mc Claude Emmanuel’s involvement in controversy regarding the operation of the Citizenship by Investment (CIP) program.
Emmanuel is the Citizenship by Investment Unit’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Fedee declared that taxpayers should not bear the legal costs for politicians and other officials. “You, the taxpayers of this country, have to pay for this personal case,” the senior UWP official remarked.
The former minister stressed the UWP’s considerations to invest in legal aid, ensuring that justice is accessible to all citizens, regardless of their financial situation.
“Often times you have to meet the very expensive cost of trying to find justice, very often that cost is out of reach of you, your family, you have to put up your property… we are in a quagmire,” he stated while proposing the need for systemic changes to ensure fairness in the justice system.
LOL LOL LOL jokers. Only thing UWP guaranteed of is not winning another election with Allen as leader.
Fedee, you will promise everything to the public until you gain power and tell us to go to hell. I pity you! You cannot fool us again. “Fool me once, shame on you but fool me twice shame on me.”
Some men just don’t know when to quit! I’ve heard guys on Crack cocain talk shit, but not like these three guys. Guy Joseph, Dominic Fadee, and Allen (Christopher Colombus) Chastenet.
Sorry Fedee.
If one is familiar with St. Lucian life, one should know that there are few ironclad secrets. Witness protection is great when there is confidentiality and secrecy. In our society we have blabbering cops, slack-jawed politicians, the banana cellular and very limited square mileage. If a potential witness is hidden in Babonneau, before the day is ended, half the population knows of their location. The option would be to send them overseas until the court case. That can be very expensive.
The better approach would be reexamine the criteria for bail. Generally, bail is based on: dangerousness of offender, flight risk, nature of the crime, ability to meddle in the investigation. Apparently, it’s not the criteria in St. Lucia. I have read of people who received bail with assault weapons, people threatening victims and police while being arrested and the like.
Hon. Fedee employ a task force of experts and community leaders to come up with some salient and feasible recommendations. You seem to be out of your league.
So will you enact a wage rate of 12 EC dollars an hour , since chass said that it was to low