Bayliss Frederick apologises

Veteran attorney Bayliss Frederick has apologised for statements he made on September 13 about Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) judge Adrian Saunders and Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.{{more}}

Frederick’s apology was read last Thursday evening on the New Democratic Party (NDP) “Night Time” radio programme on Nice Radio by his daughter, Senator Vynnette Frederick.

In the statement, the elder Frederick said when he had called in to the programme hosted by his daughter on September 13, he called in to protest the arrest of his daughter on three charges of perjury the day before.

He said “unhappily”, he was “overpowered by emotion” and in “intense vexation” about what had transpired.

“… What I said on the air, was with intense vexation at my daughter’s arrest, on charges which are entirely political and in context of her being a member of the house of parliament. This station, Nice Radio, and indeed, my daughter, knew nothing of what I intended to say, and of what I did say. I called the names of some persons and I unconditionally apologize for offending in my statements to persons who were not present, to refute or comment on what I said. I wholeheartedly apologize and vehemently state that I was not motivated by malice, spite or ill-will. Whatever was said was of my own doing and I am deeply sorry.”

After reading the statement, Senator Frederick said “That is from Bayliss Frederick, my father, and he just wanted me to read that.”

Gonsalves had, on September 16, pleaded with the elder Frederick to publicly apologise to Justice Saunders and the CCJ.

“I want, through this medium, to plead with Bayliss, if he has any sense of decency left in him, to go back on the radio and apologise to Adrian Saunders and to the CCJ,” Gonsalves said, as he called into a programme on Star FM.

Frederick, 88, had made certain statements in relation to Saunders, which a lawyer told SEARCHLIGHT are capable of a defamatory meaning.

Among other things, Frederick said there is a diabolical pattern emerging from matters which have taken place recently, which are contrary to democratic principles.

He referred to the arrest of his daughter, opposition senator Vynnette Frederick, on September 12.

He also mentioned a case before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in which Castries is seeking an interpretation from the court about whether the St Lucian constitution would allow for the London-based Privy Council to be replaced by the CCJ as that country’s court of appeal by an act of Parliament, instead of through a referendum.

St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has been listed as an interested party in that matter, as the Constitution of SVG is similar to St Lucia’s.

Mr Frederick said on the programme that Gonsalves wants more than anything for this country to move away from the Privy Council to the CCJ.

Gonsalves, however, said that he does not need an apology from Frederick, as he knows that even if he apologises, it would not be “a well-meant apology.”