President of St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association, Mrs. Dahlia Joseph Rowe, has issued a statement regarding threats of violence against the Honorable Justice Eddy Ventose, following his recent ruling in the case of Tanzania Tobing Tanzil v. Lindsay Grant and Jonel Powell.

The statement reads in part (and I quote), “the Bar Council strongly condemns such attacks on a member of our judiciary. The independence of the judiciary is a fundamental pillar of our democratic society. We cannot allow the safety and independence of the judiciary to be compromised in any way by baseless and unwarranted threats because some persons are dissatisfied with the ruling of a judge.” End quote.

In the statement, President Joseph Rowe added that, although the public are entitled to express their views, “they must do so lawfully and responsibly”.

The Honorable Judge has been provided with additional security as a result.

According to the statement, “whatever security measures are required to guarantee the safety of the judge must be implemented by the relevant authorities as a matter of priority……

In light of the fact that this being an election season in St. Kitts and Nevis, the President urged “the leaders and senior members of the respective political parties to lead by example and encourage your supporters to be civil, respectful and responsible in their discourse at all times.”