were vitiated by apparent bias on the part of the CJ arising from the HDC
allegations.
11.
Accordingly, in the instant proceedings no finding is made in relation to
any issue in the judicial review proceedings. We are not required to make, and
indeed must strenuously avoid making, any findings of fact in relation to the
issues in that matter. Additionally, the instant proceedings are not a rehearing
of the election petitions or the appeals therefrom.
Conclusion
12.
Upon an application of the legal test for apparent bias, to the
circumstances now within the knowledge of the fair-minded and informed
observer, there is no basis for him or her to conclude that there was a real
possibility of bias on the part of the Chief Justice when he sat on the appeals.
Order
13.
In those circumstances the appeal is dismissed.
Analysis
Law
Bias -The legal test
14.
The test for apparent bias was considered in the case of Panday & Anor
v Espinet Civ. App. No. 250 of 2009 delivered May 11, 2011 per Mendonça JA
at paragraph 25
25. In Porter v Magill, the House of Lords approved an adjustment
to the common law test of bias that had been enunciated in R. v
Gough [1993] UKHL1. The question now is whether the fair-minded
and informed observer, having considered the facts, would
conclude that there was a real possibility that the tribunal was
biased. The reference to the tribunal in that formulation would of
course include magistrates.
6