St. Maarten News – Now former Justice Minister Richard Gibson Sr. has signed off on a ministerial decree that charges a committee with drawing up a plan that must lead to the establishment of a law school in St. Maarten.
Members of this committee are the vice-chair of the Council of Advice, Mavis Brooks-Salmon, Acting Governor Reynold Groeneveldt, Ombudsman Dr. Nilda Arduin, President of the Constitutional Court Justice Bob Wit, the retired Secretary General of the Ombudsman Patricia Philips and attorney Gaston Bell, a member of the Council of Advice.
The committee has been tasked with producing a report within the next ninety days. Minister Gibson said that the committee may have to hire experts to help them with their work. At the same time he pointed out that there is no money available.
“Certain things we can afford and certain things we cannot,” he said at yesterday’s press briefing. “Somebody has already called me Mr. No, but I say again – we can only spend what we have. And right now we do not have the funds for this law school; they will have to be generated.”
The minister made a public appeal for support. “I am asking for assistance from the public, from insurance companies, hotels, and banks to fund the expenses the committee is going to have in preparing this report in the next 90 days.”
Committee tasked with plan for law school
