by Rozario Brown
In the current socio-political maelstrom, where the moral and institutional bedrock of our nation appears to be deteriorating under faltering leadership, the judiciary stands as a beacon of integrity and hope.
It remains committed to upholding the fundamental principles of our Constitution: liberty, justice, and the safeguarding of human rights. Its role as a bulwark between a disillusioned citizenry and a government increasingly dissociated from its constitutional commitments cannot be overstated. This meritorious endeavour deserves unalloyed commendation.
Yet, as we navigate a tempestuous sea of governance failures, particularly the stark incompetence displayed in ensuring public safety, the onus on the judiciary is greater than ever before.
Lives are being lost, communities are held hostage by malevolent forces, and the very social fabric is in tatters, as if we are a nation at war with ourselves.
We are confronted by a grim paradox: we are not besieged by a foreign adversary, but the erosion comes from within. The judiciary is entrusted not merely to interpret the law, but to bear the moral compass for a nation adrift. Thus, I exhort our judicial officers, presiding officers and magistrates to rise to the exigencies of this hour.
You are not merely the interpreters of the law, but its sanctified guardians. You hold in your hands the fragile balance of justice, teetering on the edge of societal chaos. While you have done much, much more remains to be done.
You must be the voice of the voiceless, the shield of the vulnerable, and the sword against tyrannical inclinations. A judiciary emboldened can galvanise a society towards transformation, fortifying the very principles that seem to be imperilled.
In conclusion, it is not merely the task of the judiciary to reflect the ideals enshrined in our Constitution; it must endeavour to enkindle them anew in the hearts of our people.
With the greatest respect and urgency, I implore you to do more, for upon your shoulders rests the gravest responsibility: that of shaping the destiny of a nation on the brink.
The call for justice has never been louder; heed it and elevate our country from its present nadir to unparalleled heights of constitutional fidelity and social harmony.
* Rozario Brown, Mouille Point.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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