Senator for life?
Dear Editor,
A Gleaner article dated July 15, 2015, titled ‘Malahoo Forte touted as next St James JLP candidate, Senator Meadows cries foul’ has inadvertently confused a former senator. I am not sure whether everyone is aware of the belief of Meadows that once one is appointed a senator, one becomes a senator for life. And the headline, as referenced, appears to have further confused him.
There is prima facie evidence that, as recently as August 27, 2015, Meadows is still using a letterhead which bears the heading “Senator Dennis Meadows, Esq”. In fact, on that date he used that letterhead to write to Dr Horace Chang, general secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party, informing him that he has decided “to withdraw his application to represent the party in the next general election”.
Meadows published that letter on his Facebook group called Citizens Action for Principle and Integrity (CAPI). When asked why he is still using that letterhead, which refers to him as “Senator Dennis Meadows, Esq”, he responded thus: “The noun esquire (Esq) is not only reserved for members of the legal profession. Secondly, unknown to some of us, one bears the title of Senator once appointed. The media often use the term ‘former senator’ primarily to separate those now sitting from the inactive. Bear in mind, the Senate is akin to the House of Lords in the UK, where Lords hold the title until death. (eg Lord Gifford).”
Clearly, Meadows is oblivious to the fact that, prior to 1999, membership to the House of Lords was largely hereditary. The House of Lords Act 1999 changed, in a significant way, how people are appointed to the House of Lords. He is comparing apples to oranges (UK to Jamaica).
My major concern here is the possibility that the letterhead in question could be used — with good intentions I am sure — to solicit or accomplish other things. Perhaps the Senate or the Protocol Office should contact the former senator to enlighten him on protocol when one is no longer sitting in the Senate.
Trevor H Francis, BSc (Hons), CLU, MSc (Hons), CA, CPA
trevor@fiacg.com
