Antigua and Barbuda - Documents Gone Missing from the High Court

The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ALP) has learned that three very important documents, prepared by the Elections Judge in the three petitions which successfully voided the elections of three members of parliament, have gone missing from the High Court.

When the decisions in the Elections Court were delivered yesterday, March 31, 2010, the Honourable Judge attached certificates to her written decisions which were placed within a carton, and were intended for delivery to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The certificates are essential in concluding the cases and ensuring that all steps -which the law commands- have been taken by the Judge. Those certificates have been stolen and cannot now be found for delivery to the Speaker of the House.

The ALP condemns this unlawful act by person or persons unknown. One petitioner has written to the Commissioner of Police, informing him of the theft and declaring his willingness to share additional information with the Police in order to trigger a criminal investigation of the missing certificates.
Since the United Progressive Party has had its slim majority in the Parliament reduced to a minority, by the ruling of the Judge on Wednesday afternoon, person or persons unknown have conspired to delay the implementation of the decisions.

The ALP condemns this criminal act and seeks the assistance of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda.

The ALP has also begun the drafting of the necessary documentation to undo the ex parte order of Justice Harris who, on Wednesday afternoon, granted a stay-of-execution to the UPP respondents following oral arguments within his chambers. The lawyers for the ALP were not invited to attend the hearing. The ALP is of the view that the Judge does not have the authority to grant such an order. Those papers to reverse the Judge’s order will be filed on Tuesday morning following the end of the Easter holidays.