Law student working on her
thesis at Prosecutor's Office
PHILIPSBURG--Brenda Brooks, presently finalising her studies at University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, is well on her way to making her mark on the Netherlands Antilles' judicial system. She is being given "open door" treatment by Chief Prosecutor Cor Merx and his team at the Prosecutor's Office in St. Maarten.
She told reporters, "I am very glad that I have gotten Merx as the Chief Prosecutor, because in the short time that I have been here, he has made me wiser and I certainly believe something good will come out of my time here."
Brooks (28) will graduate in September, upon completion of her thesis, for which she has chosen the body scanner and its pros and cons within the legal framework of the Netherlands Antilles.
Brooks attended school on her home island St. Maarten for several years, including Milton Peters College HAVO/VVO, and then went on to complete her secondary education in Curaçao at Maria Immaculate Lyceum.
She said her choice of the scanner as the subject of her thesis came from several complaints that the selection process at the Hato Airport in Curacao was somewhat rigid and an intrusion into the body of a person that might well be against the person's legal right to keep the inside of his/her body private.
Her belief is that although she sees a need for aggressive measures to combat drug trafficking, the scanner is not too effective, as criminals always seem to find ways to beat the system.
"One of the problems which I hope to learn more about is the criteria being used by the Hato Team to determine which passengers should be scanned. I have heard of cases of discrimination and it is something that I have to find out for myself," explained Brooks.
She said that because since there had been several changes with regards to jurisprudence in the Netherlands Antilles, it was important to understand whether the use of the scanner infringed in any way on the rights of the citizens. She noted that she felt her opinion leaning towards a negative on whether the scanner should be used.
In his comments to the media concerning the assistance he had offered to Brooks, Merx said, "People from St. Maarten, especially women, who have the possibility to find a field of education, especially in crime, are very much welcomed, and it is good when they come back to work with the community."
He said his reason for saying especially women came primarily from his experience with them within the judicial system, in that they had contributed significantly towards helping to solve some of the social ills on the island.
He said one such woman was able to develop a programme, along with him, that catered to the victims of crimes. "The prosecutor is not only there to prosecute but also to assist in a certain way through education. We are only three in this office, but we will all make ourselves available for Miss Brooks and give her all the tools she needs to complete her thesis."
Brooks' first meeting with Merx on Thursday last week was described as an hour of enlightenment. She credits her desire for justice to her youth, when she would always run to the defence of her younger family members, and says looking at LA Law on television gave her more encouragement. However, she noted that there was a stunning difference between the American legal system and the Dutch legal system, which has no jury.
Her desire to write her thesis on the Antilles was the basis for choosing the scanner. She equally shares the desire to come to St. Maarten and do her legal training and eventually to work.
