Installation new judges

September 26, 2011 5:26 AM

Today Mr. Karel Frielink, president of the Bar Association, held a speech on the occasion of the installation of four new judges at the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba,

Click here to read this speech in Dutch

Frielink: Draw a line regarding parliamentary immunity        

It’s time to draw a line regarding the existing, parliamentary immunity whereby politicians can attack citizens personally with impunity, Karel Frielink, the president of the Bar Association said in his speech on the installation of four new judges.

Conversely, a judge could severely punish citizens, who insult politicians. A politician is chosen to serve the people, not oneself or those who he or she chooses or who provided considerable funds to have him/her chosen.” This also includes conscientious contact with an institute as the Public Prosecutor (OM). A judgment that a criminal investigation such as Bientu is prompted by political motives, does not attest to responsibility. The OM must be able to function as a neutral government institute, also in cases where the government, politicians or friends of politicians are involved. “In criticizing the OM, politicians should be reserved, in view of the diverging of powers.”

Frielink further quoted the injuring of the citizen’s privacy. That during a national TV-speech Premier Gerrit Schotte had shown the bank data of a private person (Emsley Tromp, ((editorial office) to the people, is an abominable display and unworthy of a Minister-President, says the president of the Bar Association. “How did he come into possession of that data? This appears to be a serious threat of the constitutional state. Why hasn’t a parliamentary inquiry been conducted into this matter yet?”

Frielink further mentioned the freedom of speech for journalists. Pueblo Soberano leader Helmin Wiels inciting the population not to do business with Radio Direct because the latter criticized the government, is a violation of this right, of the freedom of the press and a form of intimidation and censure that do not belong in a constitutional state, says the president of the Bar Association. “There is no substantial difference between a government prohibiting certain newspapers or radio stations and attempting to muzzle them by ruining them financially.”

A debate should focus on the subject and be based on arguments. “This is where too many people fail,” says president of the Bar Association, Karel Frielink. ‘And he chose to keep silent’

23 September 2011