|T R I N I D A D & T O B A G O |
Radio Licence Delay Costs State $ 3m
here are no bounds of happiness of Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha's General Secretary Satnarayan Maharaj. He pluckily faced the state and lodged an appeal against it with the Court of Appeal regarding radio licence delay. The Court of Appeal favoured the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, which operates Central Broadcasting Services Limited, but the government snubbed the Court's ruling. Then Maharaj moved to Privy Council and High Court. Now he puts on a bold face since Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh awarded compensatory and vindicatory damages by way of a video conference at the San Fernando High Court. The judge said: "The award was meant primarily to deter public authorities and persons exercising public functions from engaging in
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PRAVASI TODAY | JANUARY 2010
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or persisting with unequal treatment." Refusal of radio licence to Maha Sabha costs State $ 3 million. The High Court ordered the State to pay the Hindu organization almost $3 million. The Court of Appeal found there was unequal treatment. The Maha Sabha sought further redress at the Privy Council. The Judicial Committee ruled on July 4, 2006 that the State had discriminated against the Maha Sabha and held that its constitutional right to freedom of expression was violated. The Privy Council ordered the State to grant the licence to the Maha Sabha forthwith. But the Maha Sabha was not awarded the licence until September 22 that year. The government snubbed the Court's ruling that the state must grant the licence to the Maha Sabha forthwith. Maha Sabha, ultimately, knocked the door of High Court and won the case. The High
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The result of eight year legal battle between Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha and the State regarding the granting of a licence for Radio Jagriti is in favour of Maha Sabha. Trinidad and Tobago government has to pay Maha Sabha $ 3 million in damages for its unequal treatment and delay in granting them a FM radio broadcasting licence
The Court of Appeal found there was unequal treatment. The Maha Sabha sought further redress at the Privy Council. The Judicial Committee ruled, on July 4, 2006 that the State had discriminated against the Maha Sabha and held that its constitutional right to freedom of expression was violated.
Court, on September 22, 2009, ordered the State to pay Maha Sabha around $ 3 million compensation for discrimination. This marked the end of an eightyear legal battle between the Maha Sabha and the State concerning the granting of a licence for Radio Jagriti 102.7 FM. PT BUREAU
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