Dear Editor,

I promised myself I would not comment on the chief justice’s appointment, but I really feel that I must. I read the newspaper editorial entitled ‘Justice Holness acting beyond his competence’ and I must say it is disrespectful to the office of the prime minister.

Let me correct the record: Chapter 12 section 99 of the Jamaican Constitution states the following:

“If the office of chief justice is vacant, or if the chief justice is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office, then, until a person has been appointed to that office and assumed its functions or, as the case may be, until the chief justice has resumed those functions, they shall be performed by such other person qualified for appointment as a judge as the governor general, acting in accordance with the advice of the prime minister, may appoint for that purpose by instrument under the broad seal.”

Anyone who is truly unbiased and without an agenda can clearly see the Office of the Prime Minister has all right to appoint Justice Sykes in an acting capacity; it is written in black and white in our nation’s most pristine legal document.

I am a firm believer in press freedom and the free press keeping the Government in check; however, this is abuse of press freedom.

Javon Moatt

moattj@hotmail.com