Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
The current Acting Chancellor and Chief Justice should be immediately confirmed
DEAR EDITOR,
Within the past few days, the President’s plan to appoint a Chancellor of the Judiciary has been a topical issue in the news. The Stabroek News has revealed that the favoured candidate is Justice Kenneth Benjamin, who presently heads the Judiciary of Belize.
The Ministry of the Presidency makes much of the fact that the President was insistent that the vacant positions of Chancellor and Chief Justice be advertised. Many however see the employed procedure as a smokescreen. The truth is that an ugly and offensive odour emanates from the advertisement/interview process.
Can anyone in the government, including President Granger, honestly say to the people of Guyana that Justice Benjamin was not directly approached by government functionaries to take up the position of Chancellor of the Judiciary in Guyana before the advertisement? The Caribbean is a small region. What is done in the dark will be (or has been) revealed.
The Judge’s past connections with the local army as revealed by the local newspapers, is being perceived by ordinary people in Guyana, as giving him the edge over Judges presently giving distinguished service to the Guyanese Judiciary. It has been reported that Justice Benjamin served as Judge Advocate to the GDF. His father was at one time the army chaplain. He is well known to President Granger. Many, many persons believe that Justice Benjamin is the President’s candidate and are not fooled by the charade of advertisement and interview procedure.
Justice Benjamin, no doubt has impressive scholastic achievements but as a judge, his record is less than stellar. While a Judge in one of the Eastern Caribbean states, the Privy Council had cause to make very adverse comments about his approximately five year delay, in his delivery of a decision. Now, he is faced with the same record of delinquency in Belize, though on an astronomical scale, so much so, that the lawyers in Belize have risen up against him and are making calls for his resignation/removal.
If indeed this is President Granger’s candidate for the office of Chancellor of the Judiciary in Guyana, the question must be asked, if it is such a judge that the President wants to inflict on the Judiciary but moreso on the people of Guyana. It is to be hoped not.
It should be pointed out however, that there was really no need for His Excellency to go the lengths to which he did to name a Chancellor and a Chief Justice. The two Judges who presently act in those offices are indisputably worthy candidates. Justices Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Roxane George have proven themselves up to the task of effective performance in the offices of Chancellor and Chief Justice respectively. Over the months that they have executed their responsibilities, we have noted their efforts at improvements in the Judiciary. The Family Court, the Sexual Offences Court and various training programmes are part of their dedicated efforts to improvements in our legal system. It is said that the practising Bar fully supports the confirmation of these two Judges. Eminent senior counsel, Bryn Pollard and Ralph Ramkarran have spoken about the highly satisfactory performance and notable achievements of these Judges since they assumed control of the judiciary. They have commendably steered the Judiciary over the past year. They were considered suitable to hold the fort in acting capacities, and so I ask, why are they not suitable to be proposed for confirmation?
The plan to facilitate the return of a Guyanese Judge who ran away during difficult times and lure him with the promise of a good life, is offensive. To ignore Justices Cummings-Edwards and George for confirmation is insulting and demeaning to these Judges.
Over the next days, I would expect to see an outpouring of support for these two Judges from lawyers individually and through the Bar Association. The Women Lawyers Association and women’s groups generally, should not allow this travesty to occur. The call should be for Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justice Roxanne George to be immediately confirmed as Chancellor of the Judiciary and as Chief Justice respectively. They have proven themselves worthy and deserving. In this particular instance, it should not be the case of what the President wants, the President gets.
Hemchand Narine
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