Eight Thursdays ago, we wrote in this space that: “…in the glare of media exposure, the Dudus/Manatt Commission of Enquiry is slowly descending into a legal circus, as lawyers become intoxicated with the exuberance of their own verbosity and, frequently, cheekiness.”

In those eight weeks, the Commission has further descended into a bar room brawl and it is not funny any more.

The verbal boxing match between Queen’s Counsel Keith Desmond Knight and Prime Minister Orrett Bruce Golding is about anything but the search for truth. Yesterday’s session gave up all pretences that this expensive enquiry will bring closure to a sordid episode in which over 73 Jamaicans were killed, ostensibly for the constitutional rights of a man accused of international drug and gun-running.

In simple terms, the Commission of Enquiry was supposed to assist the country to know, inter alia, whether the governance process was corrupted and subject to the needs of a political party, albeit the ruling party, in interfering into the matter of an extradition treaty between two nations — the United States and Jamaica.

At issue is whether the Jamaican prime minister, Mr Bruce Golding, acted in the interest of the country, Jamaica, or put the narrow interest of his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) before the national interest in his initial decision to resist the US extradition request for Mr Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, his constituent and known party supporter. And did he lie to the Parliament in denying knowledge of party interference.

Our view is and was that it is critical to have the enquiry, “if only for the fact that as a nation it will help to make sense of the fact that over 73 people were killed during the security force operation last May to extract Mr Coke from his barricaded stronghold in Tivoli Gardens, Western Kingston”.

What we wrote on February 10 is more true now than then: “But we fear we might not get there (the truth). Pandering always to the television cameras and the radio microphones, the gaggle of top lawyers representing the various witnesses, is making sure that nothing is said that can implicate their clients. It is worse than in a court of law, because this time, it is the court of public opinion and the main combatants are the governing JLP and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) for whom — no doubt — the 2012 election campaign is joined.”

We have great appreciation for the achievements of the Commissioner, Mr Emile George who, Mr Hugh Small reminded us, is the most senior Queen’s Counsel in Jamaica. But, with all due respect, Mr George has lost control of the enquiry.

The Commission of Enquiry can now be aptly renamed the K D Knight Show. Even the eminent Mr Frank Phipps seems to have capitulated. Everyone has deferred to Mr Knight whose armour, unfortunately is not shining, because his motive is partisan point-scoring — which is the greater pity because he is a formidable advocate.

And although Mr Small, the counsel for Mr Golding is not the innocent he is pretending to be, we must heed his words that the world is watching how we are conducting ourselves.

We know that a lot of people are making good money off the Commission. The question is what is the nation getting out of it.

Dare we still hope even at this late hour that truth can be salvaged from the legal jungle, nay, the bar room at the Jamaica Conference Centre?