By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
Dr. Terrence Campbell, Parliamentary Leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), has moved to the High Court seeking judicial review and constitutional relief over recent presidential appointments to the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), arguing that the appointments were made in breach of the Constitution.
Dr. Campbell contends that the President’s decision to appoint three members to the Teaching Service Commission violates Article 207 of Guyana’s Constitution, which requires meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition prior to such appointments.
According to Campbell, the absence of a duly elected Leader of the Opposition at the time the appointments were made rendered the consultation process impossible, thereby undermining the constitutional safeguards designed to ensure the independence and impartiality of the Commission.
He maintains that the requirement for consultation is not a formality, but a critical constitutional mechanism intended to preserve balance, fairness, and public confidence in service commissions that oversee the careers and welfare of educators.
In his court filings, Campbell is seeking the cancellation of the disputed appointments, warning that allowing them to stand would erode constitutional protections and weaken parliamentary democracy. He further accused the government of departing from previously established practice, which, he noted, was to await the appointment of a Leader of the Opposition before proceeding with appointments to any service commission.
Dr. Campbell also rejected any reliance by the government on the doctrine of necessity, arguing that such a doctrine cannot be invoked where the alleged necessity was created by the government’s own actions or inaction.
Former Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran, in a letter to the press, observed that consultation with the Leader of the Opposition on the Teaching Service Commission could not have occurred precisely because no Opposition Leader had yet been elected.
Attorney-at-law Christopher Ram also weighed in on the issue, noting that Article 207 clearly contemplates the involvement of the Opposition Leader in the appointment of certain TSC members, making the matter constitutionally significant.
Another regional legal practitioner, speaking anonymously, underscored that Article 207 explicitly provides for three members of the Teaching Service Commission to be appointed by the President only after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, while other members are nominated through the Minister of Education and recognised teachers’ bodies.
Meanwhile, Coretta McDonald, President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, has also criticised the government for what she described as a failure to adhere to the Constitution in relation to the Teaching Service Commission.
The High Court is expected to consider the matter in the coming weeks, as broader questions continue to be raised about constitutional compliance, executive authority, and the prolonged delay in appointing a Leader of the Opposition.
