A group of nine lawyers dubbed the “formidable nine” have formed themselves into a non- profit-non -governmental organization (NGO) called the Committee of Concerned lawyers (CCL).
John Elue Charles, Cara Shillingford, Wayne Marsh, Joshua Francis, Singoalla Bloqvist-Williams, Bernard Wiltshire, Ronald Charles, Clement Joseph, and Joel Paris are the ones behind the movement.
In his opening remarks, John Elue Charles said that the CCL is “not a religious organization, not political and not affiliated to any political party, not another branch of the Dominica Bar Association (DBA) and is not affiliated to the pressure group Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM).
In her address, Cara Shillingford explained that over the upcoming months the will embark on a public legal education drive which will seek to educate persons on their constitutional and human rights.
“We will engage students and young persons in projects and competitions which are intellectually stimulating and which will contribute toward building a stronger and more civic-minded populace,” she said.
According to Shillingford, while they appreciate that there is much to be grateful for in the Commonwealth of Dominica, they take this opportunity to applaud the many men and women who make sacrifices daily to make this country a better place.
“This includes public servants, nurses, teachers, police officers, private business owners, farmers, fishermen, lawyers, and doctors to name a few. These are people who have chosen to remain in Dominica to help save this country,” she stated.
She said that while as a group, they recognize and appreciate the good, they are very much aware of some of the shortcomings faced in Dominica.
“It is impossible to ignore those social ills and logically expect them to just disappear. If you have a wound and want it to heal, then you should not cover it up. This organization seeks to expose and address the various problems that we face in Dominica head-on so that can find solutions and heal this country,” Shillingford remarked.
“We do not promise to do all of this in one day. As the old saying goes, Rome was not built in a day. We will however try our utmost best to fulfill our vision and mandate.”
The group she said is concerned about the apparent high level of dysfunction within various arms of Government.
“Statutory boards, commissions, and institutions which are supposed to serve and protect, have been rendered ineffective and toothless because of legislative changes and political interference.
“Too often these boards and commissions are crowded with party supporters and “yes men” who care more about “not rocking the boat” than protecting the public interest,” she said.
“Too often in Dominica we see the flagrant violation of human and constitutional rights. These violations usually attract public outcry for a week or two and are then forgotten.
“The Constitution of Dominica states that everyone whose constitutional rights have been infringed has a right to access the high court for justice and relief.” She continued, “Our constitutional rights include the right to life, liberty, freedom of conscience, freedom of movement, freedom of expression, freedom of association, the right to protection of the law, protection from slavery, protection from inhuman and degrading punishment, protection from deprivation of property, protection from arbitrary searches and entry and protection from discrimination.”