President Still Reviewing Chief Justice & Chancellor Appointments Amid 20-Year Delay
By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News
Despite increasing calls from legal stakeholders and the political opposition, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has offered no definitive timeline on when substantive appointments for the Chancellor of the Judiciary and Chief Justice will be made.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a recent swearing-in ceremony for Court of Appeal judges, President Ali reiterated that the matter is still under review.
“The matter of the Chancellor and Chief Justice is important to me. It’s important to our country, and we continue to work to find a solution,” the President said.
Guyana has now gone more than 20 years without substantive appointments to these top judicial posts. Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards has been acting as Chancellor since 2017, following the retirement of Justice Carl Singh, who himself served in an acting capacity for 12 years. Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire has also acted as Chief Justice since 2017.
Opposition Offers Support
Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton has formally written to the President expressing his support for confirming both Cummings-Edwards and George-Wiltshire in their respective roles. However, the President appeared unmoved, dismissing suggestions that Norton’s proposal was binding.
“A counterproposal means there was a proposal. The Constitution provides how the Chancellor and the Chief Justice are appointed, and I’m sure the Leader of the Opposition is aware of the process,” Ali stated.
Regional Pressure
The prolonged delay has also drawn criticism from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). In 2022, CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders publicly described the lack of permanent appointments as a “notable stain” on Guyana’s judicial system.
“Guyana should not let this year pass and not remedy this regrettable situation,” Saunders urged at the time during a Bar Association event.
As calls for judicial reform grow louder, the country’s leadership remains under scrutiny to resolve what many legal professionals and civil society advocates consider a constitutional deficiency.
