There is one significant blot on an otherwise impressive Guyanese legal and judicial landscape. For the country to have not appointed a Chancellor for 17 long years is very disappointing; likewise, to be without an appointed Chief Justice for several years.
This was according to the President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Adrian Saunders, during a recent presentation at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana.
“As the President of your final court, I believe I have a right and a duty publicly to express the view that Guyana should not let this year pass and not remedy this regrettable situation, the CCJ President said.
Justice Saunders’ comments are aligned with those expressed by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, who recently noted that change to the procedure that appoints these important judicial operatives warrant change.
He said that the formula that requires consensus between the President and the Opposition Leader for the appointment of a Chief Justice and Chancellor, has not worked in the more than two decades it was put in place.
Similar sentiments were expressed recently by President of the Guyana Bar Association, Pauline Chase, who called for changes to process, underscoring that it is “inimical”to the rule of law that there are acting appointments of highest judicial officers.
