Court of Appeal Overturns Industrial Court Contempt Ruling Against Employee Representative

In a ruling dated March 27, 2026, the Court of Appeal overturned a controversial contempt ruling made by the Industrial Court on November 5, 2023, against Mr. Anderson E. Carty, Industrial Relations Consultant and an Officer of the Court.

In earlier proceedings, the Industrial Court found Carty guilty of “indirect contempt” of court based on statements he made during a live radio broadcast on Observer Radio’s Connecting with Dave Lester Payne programme.

The court found that Carty’s remarks, which included assertions that the legal system was “compromised,” operated against the “little man,” and was “in chaos at almost every level,” had scandalized the court, attacked its integrity, and brought it into disrepute.

The court concluded that Carty’s statements created the perception that the Industrial Court was biased in favour of employers and that the administration of justice could not be trusted.

As a consequence, Carty was ordered to retract the statements, submit a written apology for the court’s approval, and broadcast that apology live on the same programme.

However, Carty refused, maintaining his innocence while contending that the Industrial Court had no jurisdiction to make such an order against him.

In a striking development during the appellate hearing, the Attorney General’s Chambers, who represented the Industrial Court, agreed that the court did not have jurisdiction to make the contempt order against Carty.

However, it was argued that the order remained binding unless and until overturned by the Court of Appeal.

The appellate panel was visibly troubled by this submission, questioning how an order made without jurisdiction could nonetheless be treated as binding in law.

While the panel appeared poised to deliver strong criticism of the Industrial Court’s handling of the matter, it ultimately chose to reserve its comments. Ultimately, the Court of Appeal set aside the Industrial Court’s decision in its entirety and awarded costs of $2,000 against the Respondent.

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