Guest Column: How one self-represented litigant lost in court, but won the larger battle
Reader ‘John” reminds us that ‘Justice’ can sometimes be won outside of court
I have seen one self represented litigant actually win, but in the court of public opinion after the case was tossed for a technicality in filing.
In 1995 or thereabouts Leonard Earl St. Hill represented the Scotland District Association against the Attorney General and Prime Minister of Barbados.
Mr. St. Hill was no lawyer. He appeared before Mr. Frank King and was opposed by the Attorney General.
The Prime Minister of Barbados, as far as the Scotland District Association alleged, acted ultra vires in placing a garbage dump in the National Park on land zoned for the supply of water.
Once the case was lost the Government applied for security for costs of $60,000 BDS if I remember correctly, effectively killing the appeal.
Richard Goddard and others mobilized opposition to the plan to locate the garbage dump in the National Park.
Funnily enough, it happened in Barbados.
Even funnier, the Attorney General was David Simmons, MP for St. Thomas and member of the then ruling Barbados Labour Party.
Simmons caused a storm when he was elevated to the Chief Justice of Barbados in 2001. The Prime Minister was Owen Seymour Arthur.
Both of them and Barbados are known to Mr. Best in his trials.
It is estimated that the Government of Barbados spent in excess of BDS$50 million (US$25 million) trying to mitigate the land slip issues but the springs in the hills above the dump made it into a lake, just as predicted by members of the Scotland District Association.
Twenty years later, no garbage has been dumped there; a victory in the court of public opinion for the Scotland District Association.
It was also a victory for common sense.
Sometimes victories are not won in a court of law and sometimes a loss in court is a win.
This article originally left as a comment by ‘John’ on Advice for self-represented litigants, Part 1: Walking away is sometimes the best decision