Bahamas News
Speedy justice pledge falls short when judgment pay-outs take years, says leading senior lawyer who wants to find a solution to a decades-long problem
‘It shouldn’t take the government years and years to settle a judgment against it when the very judgment was awarded because of inexcusable delay in the first place’
#TheBahamas, January 7, 2022 – The new attorney general Ryan Pinder came out guns blazing according to an Eyewitness News post online on November 1, 2021 with headline UNBUDGETED AND UNFUNDED: AG says judgments against govt ‘have to be paid’.
I could not agree with him more.
I am fully on board with the Attorney General calling out the last administration and exposing its failure to account for $1B in liabilities, including court judgments made against the government.
I would only caution that Sen. Pinder is swinging a double-edged sword. We all know that governments are continuous and it doesn’t matter when the failure started or who was responsible for it; it only matters who stops it and is competent enough to reverse the negative consequences it created.
Although I am optimistic about the pledge of millions of dollars in funding which is claimed to have been provided in the government’s supplementary budget to cover the costs of those judgments, I remain cynical about it.
As we enter the first quarter of 2022, where is the money for these judgments? Who is receiving the favour of priority of payments as so many judgments with real priority remain outstanding while others were hurriedly and quietly paid just before Christmas? Why are the government’s judgment creditors still being told there is no money?
There are judgments for damages which were awarded against the government for its failure and breach of a citizen’s constitutional rights by causing unreasonable delays in the delivery of justice.
Article 20 of the constitution guarantees you a right to a fair trial and a trial within a reasonable time.
A still broken criminal justice system continues to result in protracted delays in matters being prosecuted, delaying in some cases vindication to the accused and the opportunity to get back to some semblance of the life you had before becoming a part of the system.
When you are compensated for this delay a part of the damages is exemplary damage to provide some incentive to the state to provide a criminal justice system where trials are heard in a timely manner. But what is the point of all of this emphasis on speed in the delivery of justice when there is no incentive to pay judgments in a timely manner and no consequences for their failure to do so.
When the government is ordered to pay they should pay and they should pay promptly. As citizens we have to pay utilities or face disconnection of services provided by the government if we are weeks late. As a business owner you can’t get business licenses renewed or a Customs bond renewal if you are a licensed manufacturer under the Act until you pay the government its taxes.
We expect the government also to learn from their mistakes, errors in judgment on flat out breaches of civil rights and liberties. So it shouldn’t take the government years and years to settle a judgment against it when the very judgment was awarded because of inexcusable delay in the first place.
It’s now all out in the open that the past government failed to budget for these judgments. Could this also explain why judgments under former governments also went unpaid for long periods of time, budget after budget after budget?
This type of inexcusable delay is not new. Successful Litigants against the government have been bowing and scraping at the feet of government personnel since time immemorial begging, following up or paying for favour to get money they are lawfully entitled to.
The question for us as citizens is whether any government’s failure to account for debts ordered by the court to pay was willful and contumelious.
Was this failure to settle these judgements tantamount to a system thumbing its nose at the judiciary and also to the Constitution?
To know that a debt had been ordered to be paid by the Court and to have the means and deliberately, willfully and contumeliously fail to make provision to pay would be circumstances for which, if done by an ordinary citizen, would expose him to penalty for Contempt of Court. 
How do we punish this type of Contempt of Court committed by the government of the day? How do we hold government accountable for ensuring that the AG’s emphatic statement that these judgments “have to be paid” comes to fruition? How do we ensure that this government pay judgments and not mere lip service? How does this government avoid getting sliced by the same sword it’s now wielding?
As 2022 rolls in, can we all now expect and demand that all judgments be allocated for in the next and ensuing budgets and supplementary budgets? Can we all now expect them to be paid promptly now that the AG and the PM have exposed this failing of the former government? Can we demand and expect that they will do differently? Is there something else besides advocacy that we in the legal profession can bring to the table to help solve this vexing problem and erase this sore from the health of our legal and judicial system?
Settling judgments should be an urgent priority for this and all governments. Unlike contracts where parties can negotiate themselves into and out of commitments, once the matter becomes a judgment or a court order there is a mandate of one of the three branches of government.
I am grateful that this Attorney General is committed to purging the government’s existing contempt of court in settling its outstanding judgment debts. As an officer of the Court there may be ways that working with the Attorney General can help to bring about reform in a meaningful way. However much of the heavy lifting has to be done internally.
Civil matters go to court that should be settled. Criminal matters are thrust needlessly into the system without ample regard for due process. Money judgments increase exponentially by interest added on with the passage of time. Matters linger in the system too long, and all of this is at the expense of the taxpayer.
These are but a few of the many ways in which delays in the delivery of our system of justice results in justice denied.
So let’s not whine about problems we can fix. Just fix it.
Photo Caption: Senior counsel and former President, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation Tanya Wright applauds the attorney general for saying judgments against government must be paid, but wants to know where is the money which was promised to pay outstanding judgments, why there are years of delays as lives of those who deserve justice remain upended and what can be done to fix the system. If there is a problem, there is a solution, she says.
DEAR EDITOR,
Sometimes the best ideas come from experiences far away from home.
It was while I was living in Europe that I saw how excited people were about England’s iconic double-decker buses. It was a symbol of culture – and visitors looked forward to the ride as an experience in itself rather than just a method of transportation.
That sparked a thought: What if we brought that same excitement to The Bahamas, but made it uniquely Bahamian?
In November 2024, that thought became 2 Storeys Tours. I wanted visitors to see Nassau in a way they had not been able to before. That meant they could come straight off a cruise ship and onto a double-decker to see what makes our country what it is – to see our beautiful waters and to discover what makes us Bahamian.
We wanted to create something memorable, something visitors would associate with their Bahamian vacation, just as people associate double-decker buses with England.
The bus may catch your attention, but The Bahamas is what makes the experience unforgettable.
We also believe tourism should create opportunities for Bahamians.
We started less than five years ago with one very used double decker bus.
Now thanks to cruise ship business, we have quadrupled the size of our little fleet. We now have four shiny new red and blue buses, so we can say Welcome Ashore in style.
Depending on the season, between 70 and 80 percent of our business is cruise-passenger driven. Even during the slower season for hotels, the cruise ships arrive filled with people looking to explore historic Nassau and we are giving them the closest to a bird’s eye view as they can get. And they love it.
Turning an idea into a functioning business has been an exciting journey, but certainly not without challenges. From planning and preparation to finally seeing our buses on the road, the experience has taught us patience, perseverance, and the importance of believing in a vision.
We are proud of how far we’ve come, and even more excited about what lies ahead.
Building partnerships helped us to get to where we are today – building them further will take us to where we can reach tomorrow.
Our ambition is to make 2 Storeys Tours a recognised and trusted name in Bahamian tourism. We want to continue improving our tours, developing new experiences, embracing environmentally responsible tourism, and building meaningful relationships – and eventually take the 2 Storeys Tours experience beyond Nassau to other islands.
Above all, we want to build something that lasts.
Looking back, it’s incredible to think that an observation while living in Europe could lead to a business right here at home.
What began as an idea became a business with a purpose, and we’re only getting started.
Our inspiration came from abroad. Our passion comes from home. And our future is proudly Bahamian.
By: KEEVON MAYNARD
President, 2 Storeys Tours
Bahamas News
Federal Investigation into Florida Turnpike Tragedy that Killed Three Children of Bahamian Mother
NTSB examining roadside assistance driver’s actions, SUV speed and seat belt use after six people perish in fiery collision
ORLANDO, FLORIDA — October 29, 2026 — Federal investigators have joined the investigation into a horrific Florida Turnpike collision that claimed six lives, including all three children of a Bahamian mother, as questions intensify over what caused the deadly crash.
The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed that it is opening an investigation into the October 23 accident, which occurred around 9:31 p.m. near mile marker 252 in Orange County.
The agency’s involvement brings federal scrutiny to a tragedy that has devastated several families and prompted an extraordinary
outpouring of sympathy and disbelief.
Among those killed were siblings Charles Milton, Jakara Milton and Dalvena Green, the three adult children of Marshall Clarke-Milton and her husband, Charles Milton Sr.
The siblings were traveling with three others to Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, reportedly on their first trip together.
They never arrived.
FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE WHAT WENT WRONG
The NTSB confirmed to FOX 35 Orlando that its investigation will examine the training and performance of the roadside assistance driver, the actions of the SUV driver, including speed, and whether the occupants were wearing seat belts.
The agency investigates serious transportation accidents to identify safety failures and recommend measures that could prevent similar tragedies.
Its involvement does not establish wrongdoing by either driver.
The Florida Highway Patrol is conducting a separate investigation into the collision.
According to the preliminary police account, a Road Ranger roadside assistance truck had been parked in the highway median before its driver received instructions to assist a disabled box truck on the opposite shoulder.
As the Road Ranger moved across the northbound lanes, it collided with a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse carrying six adults.
Both vehicles left the roadway and caught fire.
All six occupants of the SUV died at the scene. The Road Ranger driver survived with minor injuries.
MOTHER CHALLENGES EARLY ACCOUNT
Witnesses reportedly told investigators that the SUV was traveling at high speed without its headlights illuminated.
However, those observations have not been established as the definitive cause of the collision.
Clarke-Milton has challenged suggestions that her children or their companions were responsible, urging investigators to examine the evidence before reaching conclusions.
She wants investigators to establish the SUV’s actual speed and determine whether its headlights were operating.
The family’s concerns underscore the importance of the continuing investigations, particularly given the movement of the roadside assistance vehicle across active highway lanes.
ALL THREE CHILDREN LOST
For Clarke-Milton, the investigation unfolds against an almost incomprehensible personal tragedy.
She lost all three of her children simultaneously.
In an emotional interview with FOX 35 Orlando, the grieving mother described the terrible feeling that overcame her when she could not reach them.
“My heart sank,” she said, recalling the moment she feared her children were involved.
The siblings were among six people whose lives ended during what should have been an enjoyable evening together.
The other victims included Timothy Williams and Shawn Palmer. A sixth person’s identity had not been publicly confirmed in the latest reports reviewed.
The family’s heartbreak has resonated across The Bahamas and beyond, with expressions of sympathy accompanying calls for answers.
SEARCH FOR ANSWERS CONTINUES
The Florida Highway Patrol has indicated that a crash report is expected within approximately ten days of the accident.
The NTSB’s investigation will examine broader transportation safety concerns, including the operation of roadside assistance vehicles and the circumstances surrounding the collision.
For the grieving families, the findings cannot reverse the tragedy.
But they may establish what happened on that stretch of Florida’s Turnpike and whether anything could have prevented six people from losing their lives.
For one Bahamian mother, the loss is especially devastating.
Three children left for an evening of entertainment. Not one came home.
Nassau, The Bahamas, October 22, 2026 — The National Computer Incident Response Team of The Bahamas (CIRT-BS) has issued a cybersecurity advisory warning businesses, government institutions and other organisations about the growing threat posed by Akira ransomware, a cybercriminal operation capable of stealing sensitive information, disrupting networks and demanding ransom payments.
Active since March 2023, Akira operates through a Ransomware-as-a-Service model, with affiliates exploiting weaknesses in computer networks to gain unauthorised access.
Once inside, attackers can steal confidential data, disable recovery systems and encrypt files, preventing organisations from accessing critical information.
Particularly concerning is Akira’s use of double extortion, threatening to publish stolen information unless victims pay. Some attacks involve data theft without encryption.
The October 22 advisory identifies vulnerabilities involving Cisco and SonicWall firewalls, VPN services, Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol, Veeam backup systems and outdated Windows and Linux operating systems. VMware ESXi and Nutanix AHV environments are also potential targets.
Attackers may exploit unpatched software, stolen login credentials and inadequately secured remote-access applications, including AnyDesk and RustDesk.
Warning signs include unexpected administrator accounts, unusual remote logins, unauthorised software installations, suspicious backup activity, mass file changes and ransom notes.
CIRT-BS recommends immediate security updates, multifactor authentication, restricted remote access, stronger network monitoring and secure backups maintained separately from operational systems.
Organisations should also remove unnecessary internet exposure of remote desktop services, limit administrative privileges and regularly test backup restoration.
The advisory does not identify any confirmed Akira attack against a Bahamian organisation but highlights vulnerabilities that could expose institutions to serious financial and operational disruption.
Cybersecurity incidents can be reported to CIRT-BS at soc@cirt.bs or through its official website.
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