The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

PROCEEDINGS in the Magistrate’s Court against a man accused of misrepresenting his educational achievements for his bid to be called to the Bahamas Bar have been adjourned to April 2017 pending the outcome of an appeal.

Shavon Bethel had filed a constitutional motion in November 2015 before Justice Ian Winder in which his lawyer, Roberto Reckley, argued that any charges against Bethel were an abuse of process as they were already adjudicated during a judicial review before then Senior Justice Jon Isaacs in November 2013.

Bethel allegedly claimed to have been awarded an LLB law degree by the University of London.

The Bar Association would later obtain a letter from the University of London that asserted that a master’s of law and bachelor’s of law degree presented from that institution were forgeries, information that did not come to the attention of the Bahamas Bar until a month after the judge had made his order in 2013.

Justice Winder, accepted prosecutor Darnell Dorsette’s submissions in that constitutional motion that Justice Isaacs did not make a determination on those allegations during the judicial review proceedings.

Justice Winder also refused leave to appeal the matter to the Court of Appeal.

The matter is now live before the appellate court where a hearing is set for January 12, 2017 where a recusal application is also expected to be made asking appellate judge Jon Isaacs to remove himself from the hearing of the matter.

In Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Magistrate Andrew Forbes was advised by Mr Reckley that the matter is continuing in the higher courts and the matter was further adjourned to April 5, 2017.