Opposition MP Alvick Maharaj has apologised to the Supreme Court judges and withdrawn a statement in Parliament after Acting Attorney General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga questioned his reference to them as “a group of people”.
While opposing the Parliamentary Standing Orders suspension motion, Maharaj questioned whether the judges had the legal authority to change the Constitution.
Maharaj said Supreme Court’s advisory opinion was not a binding declarative judgment.
Responding to Maharaj, Turaga says Maharaj reference to the members of the Supreme Court as a group of people is outrageous.
Turaga says references to the conduct of members of the judiciary must only be raised through a motion with notice introduced with the Speaker’s permission.
He says the Supreme Court had made a determination and urged members to support the suspension motion.
Maharaj later apologised and withdrew his statement.
He says if his reference to the Speaker and the panel of judges of the Supreme Court was offensive, he would like to apologize to the Speaker and the panel of judges.
