7 News Belize

St. Lucia Denies “Brother Barrow”
posted (February 4, 2011)
When he resigned from the court of appeal Justice Denys Barrow said it was because the government of St. Lucia wasn't coming up with his promised pension funds and that he was suing them to get what was owing to him.

Well, the Government of St. Lucia has responded and said that Barrow is not entitled to any pension.

A statement from the St. Lucian government says that the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States has found that Justice Barrow was not entitled to pension as he had resigned before fulfilling the minimum criteria for the grant of a pension. The statement says that the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal has also weighed in on Justice Barrow's pension and found that he "did not qualify for pension benefits…."

No telling yet if Barrow will appeal - but he is moving into private practice after he leaves the bench on February 28th. But as the man widely considered to be Belize's most eminent jurist leaves the bench we did come across an interesting quote he gave the Guardian newspaper when he took up his appointment on the Appeals Court.

Interviewer Alfonso Noble asked him, quote…
"Does the need to serve the country supersede the need for money…."

Barrow responded:
"It's a personal choice I would not want to preach or to take any moral high ground. One needs to have the sense of vocation and avocation and one needs to be prepared in terms of one's own personal circumstances to take the loss of financial reward that comes with serving in a public position. Obviously the financial rewards don't come anything near to one what earns in private practice but as you know if you are able to make the adjustment then the desire to be of public service will supercede the pursuit of greater financial reward."

We assume that by "being prepared in terms of one's personal circumstances," Barrow was factoring in the St. Lucia benefits, which, at this time, are not forthcoming

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