Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall has refused to accept the argument that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)’s President, Justice Adrian Saunders visiting government officials constitutes impropriety.
President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID), Rickford Burke, has claimed that Justice Saunders violated procedure by having “meetings” with members of the government, who are litigants in a case before his court.
Burke said, “Mr. Saunders, in the most prevalent instance of judicial recklessness and unethical, unscrupulous conduct in the Region, attended ‘meetings’ with Guyana’s installed President Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Attorney General Anil Nandlall, all three of whom are essentially plaintiffs – litigants – in an elections case that is subjudice before the CCJ, over which Justice Saunders is presiding. The main case challenges the legitimacy of Irfaan Ali as President of Guyana.”
But Nandlall says the argument is “perverse”. He noted that Justice Saunders was invited by the Guyana Bar Association to partake in one of its events, but took the time out, as is customary, to meet with members of the Executive. He also noted that the engagements between the CCJ President and the government officials were merely courtesy calls.
“I wish to reject those criticisms out of hand as completely misconceived, wholly without merit and rather scandalous. It is a normal thing for the Head of the Caribbean Court of Justice, and indeed, Judges of that court, whenever they visit member states of CARICOM, in particular, the Member States who have changed their Constitution to make that Court their final court to normally pay courtesy calls on the Prime Ministers, the Attorneys General and the Leaders of the Opposition in those countries. Mr Justice Saunders simply observed that practice,” Nandlall said last evening on his “Issues in the News” programme.
Arguments were also raised about Justice Saunders’ failure to meet with the Opposition, but Nandlall reminded of the Judge’s remark on the matter.
Below is an excerpt of Justice Saunders’ speech confirming that the engagements were indeed courtesy calls and him expressing an intention to meet with the Opposition Leader as soon as one is installed:
“First of all, let me express thanks to the Law Society for extending the invitation to be here and for facilitating my presence in Guyana this evening. The pandemic cast such a long dark shadow on the ability to convene convivial gatherings like these that I am thrilled to be able to join you in person on the occasion of your commemoration of Law Week. During my time here in Guyana I was also pleased to have been able to pay courtesy calls on His Excellency the President of the Republic, the Hon Attorney General and Her Excellency the Secretary-General of CARICOM. Hopefully, after a Leader of the Opposition is installed I shall be able also to meet with that official sometime soon.”
