Magistrate Juan Wolffe has rebuked Government Senator Walton Brown for failing to turn up for a court hearing over thousands of dollars owed to a former employee.

"I don't take kindly to people not showing up here, no matter who they are. Could you convey that message to him?" Mr. Wolffe told Sen. Brown's representative in Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

The Senator had sent the woman to court to tell Mr. Wolffe he would not be attending because he was in the Senate.

Sen. Brown previously told The Royal Gazette his company stopped paying Christen Pears more than $10,000 she was owed because she threatened to take him to court.

He had been paying her on a monthly basis but stopped altogether when she requested more frequent instalments.

Wednesday's hearing was supposed to be an update on the schedule of payment to Ms Pears.

When Mr. Wolffe called Sen. Brown's name, a woman stood up and said she was there as his representative.

Mr. Wolffe said: "Mr. Brown should probably be here."

"He's actually at the Senate," replied the representative.

Mr. Wolffe continued: "With all due respect, the court's more important than that at this point ... try to make arrangement for him to be here. His presence will be required the next time we are in court.

"It makes no sense sending you without you being fully aware of this matter. I don't take kindly to people not showing up here, no matter who they are. Could you convey that message to him?"

The matter was adjourned to April 16.

Sen. Brown told The Royal Gazette that Ms Pears was hired by his former firm MediaCom, meaning the matter is between that company and Ms Pears, 32, a Brit who now lives in Australia.

He said in a statement: "I have a great deal of respect for Magistrate Wolffe and his determination to run his court effectively.

"As the matter is between MediaCom and Ms Pears, a representative for the company was in court; Ms Pears also had a representative present. Since Magistrate Wolffe insists on my presence at the next hearing I will certainly be there."

Sen. Brown said Ms Pears was hired by MediaCom to undertake a variety of writing and reporting assignments.

When the company ran into financial difficulties a year ago and the board decided to close it down, Ms Pears was owed $15,000. A total of $5,000 was paid to her over a two-month period.

Ms Pears is seeking money for unpaid wages, health bills and other expenses.

Her civil claim, filed last summer, said she had regularly failed to be paid on time after taking the post in September 2006 and her employer had not registered her with the Department of Social Insurance or arranged health cover.

She claimed she was owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages, as well as relocation expenses of $2,500, a $125 immigration fine incurred because no landing permit had been arranged for her, medical expenses of almost $600 and erroneous social insurance deductions of more than $300.