London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 30, 2025

BVI Parliamentary Speaker accuses British judge of judicial activism

BVI Parliamentary Speaker accuses British judge of judicial activism

House of Assembly Speaker, Hon Julian Willock has accused British Judge Adrian Jack of judicial activism over the awarding of court cost in the withdrawn Commission of Inquiry (CoI) injunction againt three CoI lawyers.

Hon Willock made the accusations under Announcements by the Speaker at today’s September 22, 2021, 12th Sitting of the 3rd Session of the 4th House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands (VI) held at the Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duff’s Bottom, Tortola.

Hon Willock made the accusations under announcements by the speaker at today’s September 22, 2021, 12th Sitting of the 3rd Session of the 4th House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands (VI) held at the Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duff’s Bottom Tortola.


Case brought in official capacity as Speaker - Hon Willock


According to the Speaker, “There has been much public discourse within the last week about… who is to pay the legal costs for the withdrawal of an injunction brought before the courts in my official capacity as Speaker,” he opened the statement.

Hon Willock had tried to prevent the three Attorneys attached to the Commission of Inquiry, Bilal M. Rawat, Andrew King and Rhea Harrikissoon from carrying out duties in relation to their appointments until and unless their appointment was deemed to be valid, in keeping with the Legal Professions Act of 2015.

However, Justice Adrian Jack had said that the only thing missing to enable the injunction to be heard was the consent of the AG, as Hon Willock had no legal standing to carry forward the injunction on his own. The case was then withdrawn.

According to court documents, the defendants are claiming $71,388.59 in court costs and the Attorney-General is claiming $6,084.

Andrew King, left, and Bilal M. Rawat, right, are two of the three lawyers currently assisting the UK-sponsored Virgin Islands (VI) Commission of Inquiry (CoI) and have been accused of practicing law in the territory while not being called to the BVI Bar, a violation of the Legal Professions Act 2015.


Strange request by Judge Jack


However, UK Judge Adrian Jack asked Hon Willock to prove that Silk Law was representing him in his official capacity and not in a private capacity.

According to the Speaker in his statement, “Never in recent jurisprudence in the Region or the United Kingdom has there been an issue when a plaintiff brings a matter to court, loses or withdraws, that the case goes to a legal or public debate about who will take up the cost.”

The speaker also indicated that it was unusual for the Court to require a party to prove how their lawyers are being financed.

“Many have argued that this is an overreach of the judicial branch, with no regards or respect for the three equal branches of Government,” he said.

Accusing the Judge of judicial activism, Hon Willock underscored that the conundrum over cost may also be an interference against the Legislature, given the House of Assembly has the right to bring any matter to court, independent of the Attorney General, Hon Dawn J. Smith.

HoA has right to take matters to court - Hon Willock


“That is why, from 2004, this House, in its wisdom, voted to set up an account via the Budget process within the House of Assembly for such actions, under the ambit of the Clerk.

He said he will not speculate as to why suddenly, "it is a concern for a British Judge, as to who pays for a matter that was clearly stated in all filings coming from the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.”

Hon Willock said for the VI, its young democracy and the rule of law remain at stake over the matter, given the attempts of those who wish to deliberately undermine and intimidate the Legislature.

The Virgin Islands must be a place where the rule of law applies to all residents, visitors, all branches of Government, and even personnel of the Commission of Inquiry,“ Hon Willock concluded.

Judicial Activism


Judicial activism is a controversial judicial practice, particularly in the United States.

It is a judicial philosophy holding that the courts can and should go beyond the applicable law to consider broader societal implications of its decisions.

Judicial activism is also usually a term that implies that judges make rulings based on their own political agenda rather than precedent and take advantage of judicial discretion.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
×