Cabinet’s ban on lawyers parking in the CourtHouse Yard has come into effect, one day after Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves announced it.
On Friday, Registrar of the High Court, Andrea Young sent lawyers an email saying that parking in the Court House Yard would be limited to certain people.
They are High Court Office staff, people employed at the House of Assembly, current Member of Parliament when there is a sitting of Parliament, and counsel employed at the office of the Director of Public Prosecution/National Prosecution Service.
“Accordingly, with immediate effect, parking in the Court House Yard will no longer be available to lawyers and/or their clerks,” Young said.
On Thursday, Gonsalves said vendors in Kingstown had accused him of being unfair by allowing lawyers to park in the Court House Yard.
“How it could be fair that you got lawyers and all kinds of people going in the courthouse yard every morning getting free parking for the whole day and when parliamentarians going in there for meeting of Parliament, you have a lawyer will go and tell a parliamentarian, ‘You can’t park there, is lawyer so and so that is his space’?” Gonsalves said.
Following the announcement, lawyer and social commentator, Jomo Thomas noted on Facebook that hundreds of people park for free in Kingstown every day.
“Lawyers denied parking in the courtyard can now park across the street at no cost,” Thomas noted.
“With this silly announcement, our PM displays yet again that the emperor has no clothes,” said Thomas, who ran as a candidate for Gonsalves’ Unity Labour Party in 2015.
“Gonsalves needs to stop Jack a**ing himself,” said Thomas, who had always been critical of the ULP administration even when he publicly supported the party.
The PM did not go far enough with this. There is no reason why parking in Kingstown is free leaving parking lots which are paid remain empty. Charging a minor r parking fee may give the Kingstown Town Board monies that could go toward upkeep of roads around the city for example.
You are confusing and conflating issues. What does Gonsalves’ assault on lawyers have to do with parking in all of kingstown? Why pick on lawyers when everyone can park for free on ‘a first come, first served basis?’
There are more to come ( y ) because the evil in the man just start going, he knows his goose property COOKED at the next GENERAL ELECTION, guarantee
Enough with the hyperbole. How does this constitute an assault on lawyers?