Understanding the Law

Understanding the Law
Judicial Review
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March 30, 2012
If you have a grievance against the state, or an agent of the state, you could take action by applying to the court for relief. You may be able to get...
Understanding the Law
Administrative law
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March 23, 2012
Administrative law is that body of laws that must be observed by the state and the agents of the state. You have been hearing quite a lot about crimin...
Understanding the Law
After a default judgment
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March 16, 2012
The law makes provisions to set aside or vary default judgment, but what is a default judgment? Default judgment A default judgment is a judgment that...
Understanding the Law
Jury selection elsewhere
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March 9, 2012
Last week you heard about various features of the jury system in SVG. This week I will provide some information on the system elsewhere, so that you c...
Understanding the Law
Serving as a Juror
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March 2, 2012
You have met the requirements to be a juror as you are eighteen years old or over, but less than sixty years old. Your name was given by persons in yo...
Understanding the Law
Alien land holding licence
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February 17, 2012
The laws allow for nationals or companies of SVG to purchase real estate in the country without a licence. On the other hand, non-nationals (persons o...
Understanding the Law
Buying land in SVG – Part 2
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January 27, 2012
We will continue to look at how freehold land is transferred from one owner to another. As said before, the search of the indices and deed books for e...
Understanding the Law
Buying land in SVG
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January 20, 2012
You have decided to buy a parcel of land or land with a house on it. You need to see the land/property. Look for hidden flaws because the seller/vendo...
Understanding the Law
Against Domestic Violence
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January 6, 2012
The Family Court has the responsibility of dealing with matters which touch and concern members of the family, whether it is in a common law or matrim...
Understanding the Law
Possessory Title – 4
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December 30, 2011
Last week we looked at two cases pertaining to possessory title. This week we will examine another case that was determined under the Act. It was dete...
Understanding the Law
Possessory Title revisited – Pt. 3
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December 22, 2011
You may recall the Possessory Title Act No. 38 of 2004. Since its enforcement, many matters concerning the issue of title have commanded the attention...
Understanding the Law
Possessory title revisited -2
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December 16, 2011
The Possessory Title Act is now seven years old. Is it solving the problems of giving paper title? Or causing anger? There are many persons who would ...
Understanding the Law
Possessory Title revisited
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December 9, 2011
The new form of possessory title was approved in Act No. 38 of 2004 and since that Act many applications have been granted by the court. Prior to this...
Understanding the Law
Words that you need to know
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December 2, 2011
It is not satisfactory for you to use some corruption of a word. You need to have actual knowledge of certain words that are used in the court and in ...
Understanding the Law
Name change
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November 25, 2011
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a name change could be effected in one of two ways, by marriage or by deed poll. The questions have been asked over...
Understanding the Law
Serving as a juror
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November 18, 2011
You have met the requirements to be a juror. Your name was given by persons in your community or was taken from the electoral list. The list of jurors...
Understanding the Law
Marriage Matters -2
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November 4, 2011
Last week we looked at some areas of the Marriage laws and this week I continue to do so. The marriage must take place within three months of the date...
Understanding the Law
Marriage matters
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October 28, 2011
Although other ministers or pastors may be present and could help in the marriage ceremony, it is the licensed marriage officer who must administer th...
Understanding the Law
A crime free society – Is this possible?
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October 21, 2011
Heinous (wicked) crimes always cause public outcry. We speculate as to the causes at the time of the occurrences. Perhaps we need some in depth psycho...
Understanding the Law
Capital Punishment
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October 14, 2011
On September 21 2011, Troy Davis of Atlanta Georgia was put to death, having been found guilty of killing a policeman in 1989. He had exhausted all hi...
Understanding the Law
Some general comments on criminal offences
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October 7, 2011
In a previous article, mention was made of the major criminal offences. These include the less serious summary conviction offences that are dealt with...
Understanding the Law
Practice directions
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September 30, 2011
Practice Directions are features of the Laws in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and are part of the English tradition. They are given in both Civil and...
Understanding the Law
Sentencing Policy of the Court
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September 23, 2011
During the sitting of the Court of Appeal in December 2004, the Chief Justice, Sir Dennis Byron, voiced his concerns about the widespread inconsistenc...
Understanding the Law
Remembering 9/11
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September 16, 2011
Although ten years have elapsed, it seems like yesterday that this tragedy descended on so many hapless victims on Tuesday, the eleventh day of Septem...
Understanding the Law
Those trees in your neighbourhood
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September 9, 2011
Trees are essentially one of nature’s greatest gifts to mankind. They provide us with some of the essentials of life and improve the quality of the ...
Understanding the Law
Irene’s fury
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September 2, 2011
Snowstorms during the winter and remnants of hurricanes that had been spent after direct hits on Florida and the Carolinas, but not a full-blown hurri...
Understanding the Law
Civil Procedure Rules 2000
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August 26, 2011
There are two types of laws: the substantive laws and the procedural laws/rules. Procedural laws, as the word suggests, tell us how to proceed with ma...
Understanding the Law
Marriage contract
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August 19, 2011
The laws provide for matters pertaining to marriage. Females must be fifteen and over and males sixteen and over to enter a valid marriage contract. B...
Understanding the Law
Service of documents Part 3
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August 12, 2011
For the last two weeks we have been looking at the service of the claim forms and accompanying documents on the defendant and we learnt that the defen...
Understanding the Law
Service of Documents – Part 2
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August 5, 2011
Last week we look at the service of claim form, that is the document which starts a matter in the High Court,{{more}} and by now you would understand ...
Understanding the Law
Service of documents
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July 29, 2011
You have brought a claim against your adversary who is referred to in your claim form as the defendant. You would have instructions in your claim form...
Understanding the Law
What your Lawyer does when he is retained (pt. 2)
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July 22, 2011
Some time ago I introduced the above topic and promised to let you know what your Lawyer does after you have retained him/her. Other topics had become...
Understanding the Law
That flood of e-mail
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July 15, 2011
The Internet has been one of the best inventions of this information age. It has brought knowledge literally to our fingertips. We do not have to trav...
Understanding the Law
Raise the Environmental standards
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July 8, 2011
I think we are still in denial about the nature of our environmental problem because we have clear skies and brilliant sunshine. We overlook the fact ...
Understanding the Law
The costs to practitioners
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July 1, 2011
Not too long ago, I told you about the costs to practice law in this jurisdiction. This week, I received an email from John Pethick, representative fo...
Understanding the Law
What your Lawyer does after he or she is retained
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June 24, 2011
You have a legal problem and you visit your lawyer. Yes, he may charge you for consultation, because you are using his time. However, that consultatio...
Understanding the Law
Address the concerns of your neighbours now
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June 17, 2011
We cannot live by the law alone and we cannot take every contentious issue to court. In short, we expect persons to have consideration for those who l...
Understanding the Law
The bombshell disclosures
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June 10, 2011
I did not see Sir James Mitchell on television, but the newspapers were filled with his comments last weekend.{{more}} The former prime minister discl...
Understanding the Law
An inside view of the legal profession- Part 3
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June 3, 2011
It is often said that the legal profession is a lucrative profession, and for this reason, some scholars may have been drawn to it.{{more}} The realit...