The legal advisor to the United Progressive Party (UPP) has confirmed plans to appeal the recent High Court ruling that denied access to the 2023 voters picture list, challenging the decision on grounds of electoral transparency.
Speaking on Observer AM, UPP’s legal advisor Leon ‘Chaku’ Symister, who is representing St John’s City West caretaker, Alister Thomas, filed the case under the Freedom of Information Act after being denied access to the picture list by the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission.
The Electoral Commission’ argued that restricting access was necessary to prevent potential identity theft, protect individuals from potential harassment and limit unauthorized tracking of voter movements
Justice Jan Drysdale agreed in her ruling that the privacy concerns outweighed any potential benefit of public disclosure.
In her ruling, she noted that “in the Caribbean context, there have been instances where individuals’ photographs have been misused for nefarious purposes” and that the release of picture list would “undermine public trust in the electoral process by raising concerns about the privacy and security of voter information.”
Symister argued, however, that the judgment contains “appeal reversible errors” and indicated the UPP will challenge the ruling through multiple judicial levels.
“We will file our notice of appeal within the 42-day window,” he stated, with potential escalation to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of Appeal and potentially the Privy Council.
Symister added that he believes not publishing the list actually undermined public trust, stating, “Not publishing the list makes people ask, ‘What do you have to hide?’”
