Dear Editor,

The chief justice, Bryan Sykes, raises the point that he sees a conflict in substituting members of the constabulary, who now offer close protection services, with security guards.

He expounds that the conflict could arise in circumstances where these security elements are themselves litigants in the court and, therefore, could undermine the independence of the court.

In other words, the chief justice seems to be, unwittingly, taking aim at his own profession since he appears to be pointing to the old adage of, “He who pays the piper calls the tune.”

I am fairly certain that the learned chief justice is not saying that this is the case but, because human beings, who are infallible, comprise the judiciary, the possibility exists.

Nevertheless, the situation, on the whole, is lamentable and the chief justice, in my view, needs to publicly clarify his statement which, if not qualified, is certain to crush a raw nerve in the minds of many Jamaicans.

What seems to have missed many is the fact that all human beings were born with certain inalienable rights, including the right to protection by the State.

If it is being implied that some people are more deserving than others of having their lives protected in a country where the murder toll exceeds 1,000 each year, then the cardinal tenet of human equality will be frightfully and reprehensibly lost in Jamaica.

If this is even remotely so, then let’s give up all hope of true Independence and go back to being led by our British colonial masters.

Derrick D Simon

Camp David, Golden Spring

derrickdsimon@yahoo.com