After several months of acting as Chief Justice, following the resignation, under pressure of Vivekanand Allear, Judge Runjan Perrera has been confirmed in the post. This was recommended by the three-member Constitutional Appointments Authority on which sits two members appointed by the SPPF and one by the SNP, chaired by Mr. Jeremie Bonnelame.
The new CJ Perrera took the oath of allegiance at State House before President James Alix Michel and other members of the government hierarchy and some members of the judiciary. Mr. Perrera worked for a number of years in Seychelles after arriving from his native Sri Lanka, initially as the Registrar, before being made judge of the Supreme Court.
He will be 70 next year; the age prescribed by the constitution for retirement for any Seychellois judge. Perrera is a Seychellois by naturalization. The promotion means his salary will now go up to from R.28, 000 to SR 34,000 per month, the fourth highest paid official in the country, after this was passed unanimously by SPPF and SNP MNAs last December in the 2008 budget. Mr. Perrera will also enjoy a 25% end of year gratuity, a 50% gratuity every five years and a 75% pension based on his new salary when he steps down in May 2009.
But, he could still be around for a bit longer as any judge has to complete all pending cases before him. His appointment at this late hour - less than a year before his retirement is due - is indeed puzzling. During his tenure as judge, he distinguished himself for dishing out harsh judgments, especially, those with political connotations. His loyalty, therefore, to the ruling party cannot be questioned. For instance, in the recent case of Maurice Lousteau-Lalanne v/s REGAR, in which the plaintiff himself admitted he was fishing within the vicinity Aldabra atoll, a nature reserve, Perrera awarded Lalanne R 350,000 as damages. This was, however, overturned by the Seychelles Court of Appeal in a judgment damning both for Perrera and Lalanne.
Another case of Perrera which was overturned by the Court of Appeal was that of Ms Kathleen Pillay, who during the one-party state era was forcibly bundled aboard an Aeroflot flight and deported from Seychelles. A compensation claim for kidnapping against Aerofloat was rejected by Perrera, who then tried Ms Pillay for a remark she made in court on the grounds that she was in contempt of court. The Court of Appeal, then not a resident institution, awarded Ms Pillay damages and she felt vindicated.
Other libel suits filed by senior Government or SPPF officials which came before Perrera were all successful. This included another one against Regar by Minister Patrick Pillay concerning a land exchange deal and even one against the Independent of our good friend Percy Ah Mane by SPPF central committee member, France Bonte.
(Contributed)