“YOU give me a break!” Those were the last words of Guyana Bar Association (GBA) President Christopher Ram as he walked out after announcing that the GBA had withdrawn its participation in the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into the deadly Camp Street Prison riot. Before walking out, Ram had clarified the Bar Association’s withdrawal from the CoI. In addressing Chairman of the CoI, Justice James Patterson (rtd), Ram stated: “Just for the record Mr. Chairman, I should say that this decision is partly taken because we have not been provided with a proper opportunity to examine witnesses, we are continually interrupted improperly and unprofessionally and unethically, and we believe that the purpose and objective of this commission is being seriously compromised.”

He said both he and the GBA recognise the difficulties faced by the commission and the importance of “getting along with business,” but also recognised that Gladwyn Samuels, Deputy Director of Prisons(DDoP) was “a key witness, and for us to be bound by a 30-minute rule and then to have these interruptions is unacceptable.”
The GBA President began his cross-examination by asking Samuels if he was shown the terms of reference of the CoI. After Samuels answered in the negative, Ram asked, “Are you represented by counsel?” He answered in the affirmative, and Ram asked “Was that a private arrangement?”
While Justice Patterson objected, Ram, begging the Chairman to explain, stated: “Here it is we have an entity which is the subject to this environment set up by the government (CoI), and then the same government is providing legal counsel for them (the prison). I just want this known.” Attorney-at-law Selwyn Pieters, representing the Georgetown Prison, interjected, “Mr. Chairman!”
It was then that the Bar Association President addressed the Commission’s Chairman: “Mr. Chairman, I am not going to take this interruption from the other side, unless it’s a proper point of objection. We’ve had enough from that side!” Samuels, in continuing, said he was unaware of any prisoner or survivors of the Camp Street Prison fire being provided with legal counsel by the state.
Ram then proceeded by asking: “Mr. Samuels, did you tell this commission that you’re on leave?” and Samuels answered in the affirmative. However, when the lawyer continued by asking the reason Samuels was sent on leave, and the DDoP began responding, Attorney Pieters interjected, “Mr. Chairman!”
Ram, expressing disgust, said: “Oh God, here we go again,” but Pieters in explaining his point of objection, told the Commission, “Any personal issue between Senior Superintendent Samuels and the Ministry of Public Security or the Director at the Prison, are matters that are private.”
While Justice Patterson indicated his agreement, Ram exclaimed, “Mr. Chairman look… as I said I have had enough! The Bar Association will not sit down here and be interrupted unnecessarily… already we have a serious problem here not being allowed a full opportunity to cross-examine. This is a matter that is in the press, a statement made by the Minister of Public Security.”
While the GBA president read an excerpt, apparently from a local publication which quoted Minister Ramjattan as saying Samuels’s leave was a necessity, he said he was not asking the commission to take “judicial notice” as the chairman suggested, but he was merely putting a question to the witness.
Pieters objected again and Ram announced that he had “no further questions.”
Justice Patterson ruled: “If Mr. Ram doesn’t want to ask any further questions, we proceed then,” and after Ram announced and explained his withdrawal, the former judge warned, “I can’t control your exit, but it’s your re-entry I might have a problem with!”
That is when the GBA President confirmed, “I do not wish to re-enter Sir! I’m saying we’re withdrawing!”
The GBA President picked up his documents and as he made his way out of the room, Pieters made yet another remark: “Mr. Ram you didn’t take that decision with the Board of Directors of the Bar Association…” It was then that Ram told the prison attorney, “You give me a break!”
Just a few weeks ago, Pieters had also threatened to resign from the commission because of similar circumstances of being restricted to 20 minutes in cross-examining each witness. He had asked the Chairman of the Commission that his warning was for the record.