The Court is not a toy

September 28, 2008 9:23 AM

The future of the Joint Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba is now being used as a toy in the conflict between Aruba and the Netherlands about the distribution of the proceeds of the auction of the Plant Hotel.

“That is not done”, Presiding Judge Lisbeth Hoefdraad said during the installation of three judges yesterday. Hoefdraad had to get it off her chest that this is really not the way to deal with the administration of justice. “That does harm to the judicial power and thus the power of the constitutional state in the countries.” She therefore makes an urgent appeal to the politically responsible administrators not to use the Court in such an improper manner.

Only the new future countries in the Kingdom are in agreement with the new structure of the Court, but not Aruba yet. Last week, the Aruban minister of Justice, Rudy Croes (MEP) poured oil on the flames by saying that the Court must have her seat in Aruba; otherwise they won’t sign for the new Charter.
"The Court can in any case not wait any longer on clarity", said Hoefdraad yesterday. The Court will therefore within a few weeks, but definitely before December 15, come with a clear point of view in reaction to Aruba’s suggestions; even if the dispute of the Plant Hotel is not solved yet. "This is in the interest of the administration of justice", says the Presiding Judge. “Keynote is and remains, a well functioning, decisive, but above all an independent administration of justice.”

(Source: National Newspaper Amigoe)

27 September, 2008