We are appealing to all those who believes in justice and who believes in the rule of law and democracy to sign this petition because once more Laura has been denied justice in the highest court of the land . We all know that Justice Delayed is Justice Denied and that is exactly what has been happening to Laura in the Court of Appeal in Seychelles.
On the 8th January 2023 it will b one year since Laura first filed for bail and it will be 5 months since her appeal was heard in the Seychelles Court of Appeal with Justice Fiona Robinson presiding.
Laura has been punished to spend another Christmas behind bars because on the date of the 3rd postponement of judgement on 16th December 2022, Justice Fiona informed her that they need more time to go through the case because her lawyer had made oral submissions to the court on 8th August for almost a whole day. It appears that Justice Robison has forgotten that Laura’s lawyer had immediately after his submissions presented the court with a written copy of his entire submission so that the court won’t have to go through 5 hrs of listening to the court recordings.
Justice Robinson’s statement was most ironic in that immediately before she made her statement, the President of the Court of Appeal , Justice Fernando in his close of the year speech asked fellow judges to bear in mind that they should deliver their judgements on time unless there is very good reason for postponing the delivery of judgement and that they should not be insensitive to the feelings of Appellants who are anxiously waiting for their judgements. He stated that his wish is to deliver judgements at the end of each session of the Court of Appeal and at the worst case judgement should not be delayed for more than 2 months from being heard. However it appears that such standards are not applicable for Laura and had fallen on deaf ears for Justice Robinson with no real reasons except that she needs more time casually adjourned the case for a 4th time to end of January 2023 which will b almost 6 months from the date she heard it.
This is another blatant abuse of Laura’s constitutional rights because as long as Justice Robinson fails to deliver judgement, Laura cannot reapply for bail nor go to the Constitutional Court. Laura’s chance of ever getting bail is all the more bleaker today and she knows that but still refuses to give up and after receiving this massive blow, she calmly and serenely took to the witness stand in a case she had brought against the Anti Corruption Commission and gave evidence for almost 2.5 hours despite being badgered by British lawyer Michael Skelley from the Red Lion’s Chambers, who is representing the Commission.
In UK, Laura would have made bail within a few months of her arrest but in tiny Seychelles, paradise to the western world, it is hell for Laura who is still languishing in jail for over a year without trial with British lawyer Steven Powles from Doughty Street chambers as prosecutor vehemently opposing bail for her. According to the chamber’s website the chamber’s ‘ethos has been and will always be to improve access to justice and promote human rights and civil liberties through the law’. Does this ethos not apply to Seychelles and to cases Mr Powles takes outside of UK?
By signing this petition you will be asking the President of the Court of Appeal to investigate why Justice Robinson has adjourned Judgement for Laura on 4 occasions without valid reasons being given in 3 adjournments and an unreasonable ground for the 4th adjournment. By signing this petition you will b fighting for Justice and for human rights in Seychelles.
If you choose to sign this petition, please note that to validate your signature you must go back to the mail you provided and sign from there otherwise your signature will not be counted.