Solicitor-General Stein pleads for cooperation

Solicitor-General Taco Stein made a plea for cooperation between the islands of the former Netherlands Antilles during an extraordinary sitting of the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, and of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba on Friday. Stein made this appeal in his address on the occasion of the installation of new Joint Judges Inge Laurijssens, Froukje Lourens and Irma Lips, on behalf of Attorney- General Dick Piar. Governor of Curaçao Frits Goedgedrag was among the audience.

Solicitor-General Stein congratulated the judges on their appointment. In his speech, he likened the dismantling of the former Netherlands Antilles to a divorce, which also had consequences for the area of justice. Certain things were simpler in the Netherlands Antilles, Stein said, for instance where the division of limited cell capacity was concerned. He also referred to certain “central provisions,” such as Government Correctional Education Facility GOG, Forensic Observation Clinic FOBA and Capriles Clinic on Curaçao. “Previously, if you wanted to place somebody from St. Maarten into one of these facilities, the only “bump” was lack of space. Currently, arrangements need to be made between two countries, sometimes even more.”

The Solicitor-General also pointed to the fact that the autonomy of St. Maarten and Curaçao may lead to an increased workload for the Joint Court, as well as the High Court in The Hague. The autonomy of St. Maarten and Curaçao has led to differences between the former sister islands of the Netherlands Antilles. Stein mentioned the contents of the so-called BOB laws of St. Maarten and Curaçao concerning special investigative powers, which are not identical.

The differences with the special entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are even bigger, Stein said. The Solicitor-General ended his speech with a plea for cooperation.

Source: “The Daily Herald” 2012-09-22