Senior Magistrate knocks court staff for delays

Senior Magistrate, Rickie Burnett, who presides over the Kingstown Magistrate Court, is calling on court staff to “do better” with the service of summons on defendants.

Before the hearing of cases commenced at the court on Thursday, November 10, Burnett took time to address the concerns of plaintiff, Tealon Glasgow, whose case has been adjourned five times since the matter was initially filed on January 6, 2022.

An article on Glasgow’s repeated adjournments was carried in the Tuesday, November 8 edition of the Midweek SEARCHLIGHT where Glasgow expressed frustration about the lack of progress in a case which involves a debt allegedly owed to him by a local company.

“The reason why you are here, I caused a summons to be served on you. My attention was brought to an article in the SEARCHLIGHT newspaper where you went and lodged a complaint about the way your matter is being handled,” the magistrate told Glasgow.

TEALON GLASGOW’s case has been adjourned five times.

“I called you this morning to give you the factual position in relation to your matter. The reason why your matter has not yet been heard by this court … because the defendant was not served. Even if your matter was listed five, six, seven times, unless and until the defendant is served, the court cannot proceed. We are now in the month of November, almost the end of the year and I have been informed that up to this day, the defendant has not been served.” the magistrate explained.

Glasgow told the magistrate the staff at the court office had told him otherwise.

“I give the young lady all the information about his [defendant] whereabouts. The person upstairs told me that the senior bailiff already served [defendant] so I don’t know really what is going on,” a frustrated Glasgow replied.

“After my attention was drawn to your article I made inquiries of the bailiff and I was told that the defendant was not served.” the magistrate repeated.

Via a note passed from the court clerk to the Senior Magistrate, it was revealed that the reason for non service of the summons on the defendant was “not enough information was given on the defendant’s location”.

The Senior Magistrate said when the civil court convenes on Thursdays, he repeatedly raises the issue of summons not being served, highlighting the financial burden the delays have on litigants.

“Persons who generally come to court, 98 per cent of the time, are very poor individuals. And when they have to go and come, it is a cost to them.

“Workers here, our salaries are 99.9 percent sure. If we had to put ourselves in the places of parties who are trying to get justice in the court…service is a problem. I am not saying the bailiffs are at fault on each and every occasion, but maybe sometimes they can do better.”

In a follow-up interview with SEARCHLIGHT after his appearance in court, Glasgow said he is extremely frustrated to find out that the information he received from the court office about the service of summons was incorrect.

He said he will “continue to fight for justice” and he hoped that when he returns to court, the case can move forward.

Glasgow is expected to return to court on January 5, 2023.