Did the Governor & Ministers ignore court order in Skelton-Cline case?
He is seeking leave for a Judicial Review (JD) on his non-renewal of contract as Managing Director (MD) of the BVI Ports Authority. Skelton-Cline’s attorneys are Monique Peters from the law firm of Hunte & Co., and Tana’ania Small-Davis.
Each Cabinet member served but missed deadline
The former MD who had his first day in court on March 15, 2016 had his attorneys amend the case file to having each of the five Ministers of Government, (Drs D. Orlando Smith and Kedrick D. Pickering, Hons Ronnie W. Skelton, Mark H. Vanterpool and Myron V. Walwyn) along with Governor John S. Duncan OBE and the Attorney General Baba Aziz, be party to the lawsuit by name.
They were all served with legal papers to respond and had a deadline of April 1, 2016 to do so. However, sources close to the case told our newsroom that the deadline was missed since Cabinet Ministers, the Governor and Attorney General did not respond to the court order.
It remains unclear if the Attorney General, on behalf of Cabinet, will be seeking an extension or if Skelton-Cline and his Attorneys would be willing to support an extension of the deadline.
Our newsroom spoke this morning, April 7, 2016 to our senior National Democratic Party (NDP) sources inside the Administration. One senior member told us that “well I am not sure they ignored the court order, they were not able to get all the documents together to the court in time for the deadline…..but there are ongoing discussions with all parties involved,” according to the source.
If the Cabinet refuses to comply with the court order all Members of Cabinet, including the Governor, could be cited for contempt of court, triggering a constitutional standoff and crisis between both the Executive and Judicial Branches of Government.
Background
Mr Skelton-Cline contested the 2011 general elections with the NDP in District Two. He lost to former legislator J. Alvin Christopher in a four-way race. Mr Christopher received 423 votes to Skelton-Cline’s 339.
Following his election defeat, Mr Skelton-Cline was hired on a close to $100,000 a year contract as a consultant with the Ministry of Communications and Works where he had special over-sight of the NDP Administration’s plan to expand the cruise ship pier project.
In 2013 he was appointed Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority on a three-year contract that ended last year December 2015. Mr Skelton-Cline requested a renewal before the June 8, 2015 general elections after the BVIPA Board had already advanced an early recommendation via a resolution for such a renewal.
However, he was reportedly told by Communications and Works Minister Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) and reportedly other Cabinet Ministers to wait until after the 2015 elections.
To date, his contract has not been renewed and he is now unemployed, even after his NDP party won the elections in a landslide.
Recently, the subject Minister Vanterpool said Mr Skelton-Cline has done a good job in executing the Tortola Pier Project but “his assignment is over…time to move on.”
While Government Officials, High Court Registry, Hunte & Co., and Mr Skelton-Cline are tight lipped on the legal details, it sets up another battle between Government and a private citizen. It is also our newsroom’s understanding that Skelton-Cline may hold a press conference sometime this month.
Our newsroom will be the first to bring you more details as they become available.
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24 Responses to “Did the Governor & Ministers ignore court order in Skelton-Cline case?”
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
how do you expect citizens to comply if government itself ignores laws? I'm still waiting for it to investigate itself.
this is a dictatorship run by an inside gang.