In The Matter Of An Application By Anthony Godfrey Wyllie

THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SUPREME COURT IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE SAINTVINCENT AND THE GRENADINES SVGHPT20'12/0048 IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION BY ANTHONY GODFREY WYLLIE FOR A DECLARATION OF POSSESSORY TITLE OF LAND ANTHONY GODFREY WYLLIE APPLICANT Appearances: Ms. Vynette Frederick for the Applicant; i ___ L _____________________________________ _ I i 2017: Mar. 13 ___ j_ _____________________________________ _ i ORAL DECISION

[1]Henry, J.: This is an appli~ation.by the claimant Anthony Godfrey Wyllie for an order that ! possessory title claim number 4W2012 which was struck out for want of prosecution be revived and 't be returned to the active court li~t and disposed of. i '

[2]On the face of the application i~ is being made pursuant to part 26.2 of the Civil Procedure Rules and in accordance with the inh9rent jurisdiction of the court. The grounds of the application as set auf on the face of the Notice of Jf.pplication are: (1) The failure of counsjiel to attend the hearing of the application is solely the fault of the practitioner and not that 1 of the client who resides in London. I (2) Counsel was out of state and had no prior notice of the hearing and as such could not inform any colleague to [hold in the circumstances. I I! (3) But for the hearing of the application, the application is othgrwisg complete in that all steps required under the law have been complied with. (4) The law provides tor the court to ma\\e any order it sees min any situation and under it inherent jurisdiction, the court is charged with the responsibility to see justice done, this is· one such situation. (5) The limitation period for bringing a possessory title claim before the court does not apply so that there is no bar in law to the relief being sought by the applicant.

[3]It is supported by the affidavit of one Niasha Joseph of Fair Hall, legal clerk of Frederick's Attorneys ·who ~eposed to certain averments on the basis of her own knowledge information and . belief to the effect that: • Frederick's Attorneys and more specifically Vynette Frederick was retained to make an application for possessory title in this matter on behalf of Anthony Wyllie; • Ms. Joseph is responsible for preparing the documents which are required in applications such as these; • She is responsible for advising counsel of the court schedule and scheduling appointments in such a way as to avoid conflicts for counsel; • When there is an unavoidable conflict she is responsible for alerting other counsel to hold papers for Ms. Frederick so that judicial time is not wasted. (41 Additionally, that Ms. Frederick was a Member of Parliament and Executive Member PRO of the New Democratic Party up until December 2015; that when the Government announced the date of election Ms. Joseph knew that counsel wrote a letter to the Registrar asking please that her matters not be listed during the month of November and December. A copy of the letter is attached. and marked "NJ1" dated gth November, 2015 and it reads: 'Dear Madame Registrar, Re: Court. Attendance from gth November, 2015 to gth December, 2015.

[5][6]

[7][8] (Ql In her submissions today, learned Counsel Ms_ Vyn~H~ I= roderick ~;;ought to Gorrect the statement by Ms. Niasha Joseph and she indicated that contrary to the statement of Ms. Joseph that she Ms. Frederick was out of state on the 13th June, 2016 when this matter was struck out for want of prosecution, she was in fact in state. She indicated by implication that she therefore did not write to the learned Registrar seeking an adjournment of her matters on the ground that she was out of state. [1 0] Accordingly with respect to ground (2) of his application, there is no basis on which Mr. Wyllie can rely on the absence of counsel out of state, and not being given prior notice of the .hearing as that has now been corrected by Ms. Frederick. The record does show, based on endorsement of two notices of hearing by Bailiff Elroy Samuel, that Elroy Samuel on the 8th June, 2016 attempted to serve notice of hearing for the 131h June, 2016 on the applicant himself Anthony G. Wyllie. Mr. Samuel noted on the back ~f that notice of hearing by way of his observations that Mr. Anthony G. Wyllie was out of the country and could not be located. On the other notice of hearing he made a notation that Bayliss Frederick who happens to be one of the attorneys at Frederick's Attorneys Chambers did not accept the notice of hearing indicating that he did not want to have anything to do concerning Mr. Wyllie. The bailiff accordingly noted that he was unable to serve the notice of hearing. I raise that because it goes to ground two of the application that counsel was out of state . and had no prior notice.

[11]I am not sure that in this case the court had em ailed the usual cause list to Frederick's Attorneys: I am aware however that it is usual practice for the court to email cause lists of hearing dates to counsel. At paragraph 13, Ms. Joseph did say she missed the court date on the court list which suggests that the court list was served on Frederick's Attorneys. So in respect of their ground two there is no basis on which the court could grant the order sought pursuant to that ground two.

[12]In respect of ground one of the application, Counsel Ms.· Vynette Frederick has commendably thrown herself at the mercy of the court and indicated that the failure of counsel to attend the hearing is solely that of the practitioner herself and not the claimant who resides in London. I however wish to note that litigants before the court have a responsibility to themselves and to· the court to keep abreast of the progress in the matters in the court. They have a duty to contact .... ·.; L' 'i c~unsel ~mi fuiling that to contact tne court to asc9r\ain \hQ. trial date or the hearino d.:;Jfp~ established for matters. If they fail to do so they hav~ ,fa!l~q:I~.:;~P,~I~~;i:W~¥:;;~-~-~ 1~sJ~Q~1ef1.;;!bJtne:~9U~r~7J5Rf~:~~-1l ' u · ··I ._,, .. · '1'· .. :·'···-·ti,, ·k .... J ·· ..... · ... +.. ,. "i .., very clearly that they have no interest in how the matter'progre~fs~sibef~~~nllie:iC()U·: ;:;)i::C:~:-.;.~' ';'·,~~~;.:'~'- . :).:1. · :·::i;

[13]. : I . . . .J -1· .. · .. ,:~- 1; :r~-~-h;r;::l:i!ltt;t\t~f:l:f.?jf{r:\~- i~-fjr··;tt{J :;-·:J111:~ .. - ,..;::·~i}!.'<t) With respect to whether or not the application for pOs~~sso~·:titi~Js ~or:n·~1~t~:1ahd::a.: :teps)equired:i:: ':: -~::-:, .. ~,; :rl' ·< · ii : · · 'l r · ~ ·• ,· 1: · •. 1:~ t- ~.-.:~ ~::~:!t;n::lr~if:~-:r:;k~l: .. ~~a~~?!~.il:~t~ +-;-.:~,1r -~~-->~~ :··- ·- -~- -~~---· lt;{_.:~- ::-__ ::;_l~~~ -:t . /.\~l under the law have been complied with, I note that in'r~:~8~:gt.pg!Bi;;;rr~M~n1reJla.~EJ/:~~i?t~.Jei~qi~Ei,~i!'_~:.>r.::-;;i;;f/;:.,·~:! by the Possessory Title Act was filed, affidavits werk ·:fiiecl;i:~~Hifi8atW~?6fc~·rfi·pli~~,c~·~was ·,fil~d!l.~',:::: · :, } J::_;),:Jj . l ~ :1 ~-- .. : .... ;;·l~ ·~:/'f.~~~·;·.yl~~\:~~~:::ir:t.:··"H.;;.~:::~tm{~·f>.;! ·.·:. ~:: · :·: · .. :~·: --- ::··j.~J · .. ::··;·~~ pursuant to section 7 of the act. Certificate of complia~ce signifYihQ. t~' afthe·n·atice w~s'·published-'ifil:: , :f .: · ... ;: 'I I ; ,~;, "J,,,· f·:~n J ,~<I[\'Y'\"Ift,'/d •..,,"•;lij ;~\}'? .,< ' ~ I '•JJ ~ 1 <1 ''•: I! the registry, there is also certificate of cdmplianc~ !i~·.!_~~sp~6}.~]of/p~'bl:i~~~ti~:n,.-:dW~'ofice ':i'n .:th~l(' .:· : :··;.-} . , :.:· ··1 .. ~~· )-':: "f~\t "\• ~r ,..,\' !• ~~ ~ ', ~~· .,,'!.,,~ , i d : , ,., . l•, :1 - ~,~ , I· f.t-r••'"'i~'' ·) , .• -~11 ': , J~rfn ~~•1 :.-J , . ~-· - lF. , .. I , .. _., • , 1 :. ,; •• J '-!:·.J-.,·t1lf'"''.li~ .. ~!~ .. h'~~f ·\''t .· , -~r ''t' i Magistrate's Court in the third district. Valuat!on repo1 ~~~~ fiii·~~;:.~~N:9. · · ··;?;~~~·~W~~-t .. }~~1 ~~~~~--~~~r :· .· :_ . · ·.,· t· ~ ·: ·: -,\ gives a value of the land; survey plan was also filed on the,'16!1i[.Gct t~i2015:,as· , · uired !by· the!:·:-···.:-:.~ it·.::·'. fi · · · ~ i ; . ; · ( :· t i;:~i ;.'I; ;;;:;;::.<~r:!:?JL::;:, , .rr<=:; .:: >:Jk · ., ::; :;i · ,· .;:;! Act and aff1dav1ts 1n support. , · i : .r-·1.::·,·:,-,kJ,,-,.: ,, ... ,,, .. ::, !. · , ''I ·.··1' I · I·~)~ ~~~ ~·: rqd 1 1-;.(, :t ~ ~·~· ..... · ·· J~~~" • •• •• ··., ,,'1 ,1 .!"• 'f ,J'J••'r .; ' : ':·

[14]1 >;·\'.'! ~: j):~:r!<~~>f/{ /,.~1}~~{{ !f_~:'!_~ :'~. "f:. ·~:i\~- .. _:· !· .. _.:}]-, :' ~ ~~:~ Mr. Wyllie in his application signified at paragraph 5 't~at_ h~:· aQd;,~~~~·.\,:·'·'"·:~fb~CI::b,~.· ~)~ .~x~l~~!v~[r·/ii· , ·l-'. ·:::J and undisturbed possession of the land f9r more -~~~Q. 't0~~~~-·ly~a~)-JW~t:]~i~£; ~-~~}:.:~~~-]h·~:f ·.}-:: ;~;{<<; : ~~~: ·; I.) ~·~:~-~~f~A·/~~~·lmr"'i .-.: --:~t-·, ·.:: ·~ 11; :.-. : ·-.-l possessor and he was put into possession 9f the land jqy,:·hi~·!at~~f-,~.lN~~M¥YUi~:: ··.),.,:'W.~~:.p~_rintqjr·· ·;:: ~ · _ ... possession by his uncle before him Jack Wyl,lie the inili~I~IOI~b~i't~~·~~!~it~?~~~:f41iri~\o,; :~ylliB):;t .•.-• :• · put his son into possession of the lands ~ he toOk\.9v~i~•¥Hsj~'ilifi'bf}~;,~~Mf~~~~ Ut; the:fi; •. ·• property, which is farming the land. It was. ~continu·e~J~.~,:t~~:'-~R8;iip~~::.~-!:;,:;r.:~f-~l~k~:~ij~~~~uith:\Rya~j[(:·: ' I l\,~'i••J ;,-fr'i.'~;i~·l~~l~·~:~tA,·,·,4t.·:t*~~{•;)('!l'-'~~,::~. • ;'~c!t\-.I' J, after the applicant immigrated to the United ~ingdom.:j Th9,a;rwi1R~:l!}hf\' ·:?P~~~.~-~- ,, -::!~!:tiyate. th~r '.:~,. , " ' saidlandsbutwishestofinalizethetitle. , ·~: .·: !'l:.:·::i:~:t:' :':.r~:·2 ''':-.:;'· .. ·i1t:' .. ·.·:_

[15]The applicant finally on the 30fu Ocillber, 2b 15 fiiJth ~~ ~~JJei ~: ; ~IJ~~s ii ~ ,;J·u~ifi ; • Prescott, Judy Ryan, Asquith Rya·n setting ~,ut what th:eylk~aW::~~~"Jt;)~~:~;::i~n~L~;, ~;~~i~ntJha~r- ·, ;;· ... : ' 'I I •""'' J ) ·i i~ ... !·' •• ~· <1\'''l'·~i. "fl ~. ·'·~'f.-· . ' .. b I {c !o,}1,1.;,•,'.'!'~~)\'!.,f.t•t~(~-fl>';~~('~ ~-·,~;.r,· ~, -~- -~h ,' •, those affidavits provide information require~ underi ~Pf:,:_~oF~ei:~[~.~ ;}t·il,!~-;).~?~1"};,~-!tl ~~}f~~~~f'M~~f.· ·:_~. :; ;: ~f ·. Anthony Wyllie has complied with the provisi~ns of th~j ~o.~s~;ss9,~!~i~le;' ·~~:·~!:::::/[ _:,.:.::,,,., "'::~;1[:,,) ~-:: :., ~·\t.~: · : ·. :: ' i ' ·ll '·:··:' ;;_~:,~;:,-':ll·.~"~' ··:<;~fl:.<·l·~,::\ -~')if:·;;\~· .. :· ··:J:·.;' :':_ .

[16]In respect of paragraph 4 of the notice of a~plication;jf~i~h\,~;e~-~~·i~\~f~:~-~$-,j~'tt~~~t~;f~~tt_.ma.y;1~ .. , :: "; make any order that it sees fit in any situatioj and urid¥r i~·i~~,e~S~fN~4~l~~f~l',; · ~e,ilrder;~; ····•• ' .l· · 0 in respect of the application which is before ;the cou1, :the' :~o~~i ~.~~ .r~9~1r~·~;t~lt~~t. i.~-~~r~ _to: t.~e·t ~· · ' . : ._; · -. · overriding objective of the Civil Procedure ~Rules w~i9~- ,is)~_~:d:?J!~.~'t\Pfi.~~~~F~~-' ;~}~.~~ie( :1~:\\L· .·• ~. :,; .:\: · :: · exercising the discretion, the court must be m1mdful of fl,l of .1.1~::~~~]1/ y·F8t~.m~~:r0::r!.' ~/:.. :~_;~;s·:.;:~;'- .- ~: 'l _. . ,· ::. r .. >· r~ . ~~ ; ,:tt;;,'· .. ;,rq ~~ .,,:! . . .· , l, , ; ,i ·.! :ll'ld:~~i[[;ll;\·, /3 ~; : . J. : ·j ·•. :.-: ... I.,;,I,;H::·~i;,~ L· ?! r · ', , ... ; 1:!i·'-', \·il·!::}d~--· ...... .... _-_·.· ' l::.;i:). ·'·. • I [Hl . ' !·.- ii '; ' ::.:1:· '.· ··,i : 'i:i!;: ·i ' ! ::, ··.· .. ' .. ',11.,-."_ .•. "! .. ·_,1· .• ··.' 1·-· )::... . - ---~ ... ~ .. - '·-;-~--~-~-~ .. - ··-··-'t The aool:cant Is seeklnQ for thg court to make an order of \ts own initi~ti\JG pursuan~ ~0 CP~ !2G.') ' :h:h:~:t:~n:; ~::d::t::r::~:h a~a::~~:~:·~::~ ~e~::r:~;~J)ll~i~~~J~~~~::i~:~y~~::r··~.· ' ··~c~ o I 0 0 :; .!. \ :"• ',j_o>'·'·J,,j,' l• J '•~'.:::: '1':;.. ,!. _,!\i~~ •.,:: ' 0 ~ the frhng of thrs order and rndeed on the 13 1th June:, ?~1~~··ei9,~~ rnpnth\:aft~r t,pe 'f~r.~vi9~s ·hearing)i ! I •' ' ; il ,. -·.,: .. :· ! ., ·.',·• I •:::'.>':! ! ·i ·' .. : •. d· ... :·• . \ . date did not appear in court. The applicamt appeared :in !courf:qn 9ri'e.:.occasi68:J'-· the· second!: .. , occasion 19• October, 2015. . i I]'' ; i :' i J~~·;~,;l·l , .Ji'i ;, ,;1 .. ·•.· •.• . . •... i· : . •• · . ·• ; .·• [12] The limitation period for filing a possessory title clainj befbr~ tb~ C,o4+9cj~·s n9fa~~iy';:.so there isl;· ·.. · ' no bar in law to the relief being sought by the applicJrit. If .in f~crth~ li~i~~tlon'J peri·d~·.h~s-.n~UrunJ . : · the applicant is well poised to file another applicktiori; an ,, id~n~idJ\}: J·~~l'itati~~~ ~ b·rl a ~iniila~i:. :. , ' I - ·1 . . ·. -' , .. , ., -"l•"·r···', '''f:. ,~ . , .. q·lj,. , ·. . . ! ~i :: application along the lines of the one which is presently: befo~e::tH~ ~9M)~; '~'(~: :} :_. :'_J[!\l! :)'-[ ·:: o' :['•~. . 1 . .I ; . I •• ; .' : j:)-t:;:, i'l:' J '<iil ;:.::- . ·. iF [13] I note that the applicant filed in support of !his applib~ti6n) ~q~liJ~t~~~i;*{ oil ~~~~!~~~on inth~;f" ~ ·· Vincentian and Searchlight newspaper dated 12th odbbet; :20:1-gl. ~-is~I~B·~iid~tid~·'ha 1yrh·g'·:b.eing· fil~d~[~ ·· ·:: .... · ) · on the 8th August, 2012. The applicant refers to the ad~~rtise!~e,nts ;·dJt~d}\1~ :dctoJ;~r;.'2p1:; as his i: .··. : . · · i first publication. Looking at the publi~ation in ~he Vinc~~tiah;~-~~~~~p~r: .. i,t•!~;_~s ~ot:~~!;;~~ether it'is{ :. ·. · ·· .. · .. the first or the second publication The pubiication +:the r~ ;~~(9~~~~/~~1 ~ irl ~~,[~eil~hlight!L .... · ' .. ttJ~ :~fR~~dnT~~·~-~y~li_c~.~ion in th~.\ ·. ~: _. . ,: newspaper likewise does not say if it is the first publj 1c;ationjor Vincenti an newspaper on 14th November, 2014 says itji~ t~; ;s~1in? :~.ypt1 ~¢:~n?n;lf1~.?.;1~8~;:~u?licati_on,:j'- < •·· ·,. -~· ·~: . , ., in the Searchlight newspaper on the 14th Noyember, f~1.1 q;~y~-.n?t.t·_st~l~'-~re~p;~r ·iJ:l\i~;.'t_~e ·seGond} . · · · · :, publication or the first publication. So there;are certair irre.gulr'rit\e~;i,n;~;~n~:·.~~~~~~~i~n~':~hich the.J: .:· · ;· I . . ., , . . .I ... ""· .· ·l ,, •I .I. -. -· . . ,., ·. '· .· , appl~ca~t has proceeded w~th his application~ There i~ r.o;~~·at~~.!~:::li~,.:~r~(::y.ir11uT:~f;~r.efts :that his:!:_ .. _·: ·: .· ·: .: .. applrcatron for possessory trtle would have been granted on·the :basrs[of:the·'doel,lmentatron he·has ·· ;: .: . :· ·~ I ' f :1\ .· ·,, ·t··: () .. i ·)1.:~~\:;:.:;·~ .. :.;~j- ... jl·'·~· -~H~~-. : ··~ ... : ; ~ _: ", \ already filed m thrs court. • i : · · · : . : : :, ; /':<·: : ··· :1 .. :':f1 ·. .. · :, . •· ·· ; :! : '· !·. !>:.i ::-:l:::::i;'.:::)J··:::I : .·:;l;U··.·;J· · . · .:1: ... : ,. __ :. ,: [14] 1 am satisfied that the justice of the case demands thar.~he:ap~lica_tjo~::whJqr:i~f befqtf~he court be:[· :' :, ·:· : not granted. Accordingly, before ruling on th:is applidt)on: (:mu:S.t6~.~~id~r:[~~h~![sub~·i;s~i~n b}i the.f · .: :. applicant pursuant to CPR part 39.5 which p~ovides td,na'pa~y ~~· .. ~p·~ii'!td.:t~e-~ou~\; ib s$t .asid.e aJ . . .. I I ' .·' i ' i ·i ''·I ·,·,:1 ,.. ,, ·I . lj ' .!,.,. 1 ' . ;· •• ' r • I ' I ! ' , 1 , 4 , l •• ·" • 1 ~ 1j , t • , 1, , • judgment or an order which is made in his a~sence. 9PR ·3~:~ ~tip~l,:t:t~ :~H:~t "~~ aP;fil._ic~1io_n to· sefr . . , ::. aside a judgment or an order which is made in a party's aqsence! m,ust be; m~de ~rthr~ .fourteen · . days after the date on which the judgment or ~f:d(3'r.:.w~~:i sie.~~-~,1\86 mf::~pp.IIqant. The+.~ ~:.. ' I ~~ • i ! :,, ':: 'l'1);~~~jr 11;: ':1lr;\,t: > · ···.··~ · · •. • · ··• •··· ·· · 'lll :i]: ... ;·., .. applicant/claimant has indicated that he became aware that the order of June 13, 2016 was made in his absence when Ms. Joseph was preparing (on instructions from learned counsel) to make an application in June of 2016 for the applicant to be present in court via Skype. It is now 13th March 2017 some nine months or so after the date of the order. The application is therefore tardy; it does not comply with CPR 39.5. That is the additional reason why it is not being granted. ORDER [15] Accordingly it is ordered that: 1. The application of Anthony Godfrey Wyllie filed on the 2nd February, 2017 to set aside the order striking out his application for possessory title be dismissed. 2. Court office has carriage of this order.

E ESCO L. HENRY

HIGH COURT JUDGE

THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SUPREME COURT IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE SAINTVINCENT AND THE GRENADINES SVGHPT2012/0048 IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION BY ANTHONY GODFREY WYLLIE FOR A DECLARATION OF POSSESSORY TITLE OF LAND ANTHONY GODFREY WYLLIE APPLICANT Appearances: Ms. Vynette Frederick for the Applicant; —————————– 2017: Mar. 13 ———————— ORAL DECISION Henry,J.