Complement of High Court Judges increased to 20

Feb 23, 2014 News

Government announced yesterday that they have increased the High Court complement of Puisne Judges to the twenty; the maximum amount.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall, in a statement explained that on February 3, 2014 President Donald Ramotar, in accordance to the High Court Act, Cap. 3:02, issued that the number of Puisne Judges be increased to 20.
The order was subsequently published in the Official Gazette on February 8. According to the statement, the move to increase the complement of Judges was made after due consultation with the Judiciary.
It was further noted that this new measure will assist in bringing much needed alacrity to the rate at which cases are heard and determined in the judicial system. “From all indications, it appears that the current complement of Puisne Judges is wholly inadequate to meet the volume of litigation engaging the justice system” the statement said.
“ We trust that those who are endowed with the high constitutional responsibility of recruiting candidates to fill the new vacancies, will discharge this responsibility with due care and circumspection in order to ensure that the new appointees are imbued with the requisite competence and integrity befitting the office to which they seek appointment” the statement said.
Guyana’s first and only female Chancellor of the Judiciary, Madam Justice Desiree Bernard on Wednesday had noted with concern the number of sitting judges in the High Court.
Justice Bernard who happens to also be the first female judge to serve on the Caribbean Court of Justice said that ways must be found to reduce the pressure on the very small quota of judges. Justice Bernard was at the time speaking to the special sitting of the Caribbean Court of Justice which was held on Wednesday to honour her retirement from the CCJ.
According to Justice Bernard, this has to be done if the judicial system to achieve its objective in Guyana. It was noted that due to the limited amount of judges there has been an increase in litigations and a decrease in the completion of cases.
Justice Bernard said that the request for the increase in the judicial party in the High Court has been one that has been lingering for 10 to 12 years.
According to her, Guyana’s sitting Chancellor should be applauded for reducing the huge backlog of cases and “performing miracles” with the limited number of judges at his disposal. Bernard said that it’s never easy to persuade lawyers to leave their lucrative practice for prestigious judicial offers with reduced emoluments.

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Complement of High Court Judges increased to 20

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