The Tribune

ENVIRONMENTAL action group Save The Bays (STB) yesterday questioned whether its privacy and personal information were still under threat after Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald claimed that the group had spent nearly $1m on legal fees for their constitutional challenge against him.

STB director Fred Smith appealed for Mr Fitzgerald and his colleagues to “cease and desist from seeking to terrorise STB and violate our rights, merely for the sake of their own narrow political ends”.

Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles ruled on Tuesday that Mr Fitzgerald, Marathon MP, infringed on the constitutional rights of Save The Bays’ members when he tabled private emails and discussed financial information allegedly related to the group in the House of Assembly in June.

In response to the ruling, the Marathon MP told The Nassau Guardian that he found it interesting that an environmental group would spend so much money and time in a bid to silence him.

“And I know they had to pay their lawyers close to $1m in order to bring this case to where it is,” he said.

In his statement yesterday, Mr Smith underscored that Justice Charles’ ruling permanently banned him from further disclosure and publication of any further material belonging to Save The Bays and that he was ordered to delete all electronic and hard copy material within 14 days.

He also pointed out that although the matter was stayed pending appeal, the injunction against disclosure was to be enforced.

Mr Smith said: “Clearly, the question arises: are senior members of the government continuing to unlawfully access the private, personal information of STB members and directors in blatant defiance of the court’s order and despite the clear and present danger that their reckless and unconscionable behaviour has posed to our treasured Financial Services Industry?”

“Let me assure Fitzgerald and his colleagues that the world is watching ­ – the international press as well as human rights organizations and the global financial services industry. I ask them to cease and desist from seeking to terrorize STB and violate our rights, merely for the sake of their own narrow political ends.”

Mr Smith said: “After failing to produce a single shred of evidence in their defence during the trial, the government will soon have an opportunity to try and overturn STB’s victory in the Court of Appeal. We welcome the challenge, and urge Fitzgerald et al to try and exercise some patience, restraint and common decency in the meantime.”