Judicial Service Commission to be in place in three months

Jan 13, 2023 News

– AG promises again, as Chancellor bemoans shortage of judges

Kaieteur News – The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) will be fully constituted in three months, Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC has once again assured.

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, SC

This assurance came while he spoke at the inaugural Law Year held in the High Court’s forecourt on Tuesday. Nandlall announced that key support staff for the judiciary would be appointed as the PSC would soon be constituted.

The AG made the announcement moments before Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings Edwards indicated that the shortage of judges within the Judicial System has resulted in the remaining judges being overworked.

“We need more judges; we need the Judicial Service Commission to be established ASAP – as soon as possible. We are facing increase case-loads. Judges are now overburdened, they are exhausted, they are nearly worn out and, in some cases, and they are burnt out. We have had psychologist coming to do psycho-social therapy but that in it cannot help. We need to have more persons on board to assist us in carrying out our mandate of providing justice,” the Chancellor (ag) said.

Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings Edwards

Justice Cummings Edwards said that the already limited pool of judges has been further depleted with the retirement of Justices Franklyn Holder and Brassington Reynolds in September and November respectively. The Chancellor said another judge is expected to retire soon.

“We do not need the rhetoric. We need more labourers. We need the judges. We’ve been hearing time and again about the JSC is soon to be established. We would like to see the implementation and the establishment of the Judicial Service Commission,” the Chancellor of the Judiciary pleaded.

While she acknowledged that Parliament could enact how many volumes of law they wish and the Attorney General’s Chambers could revise laws she said “we need the judges to interpret those legislation, we need the judges to implement those legislation so that we can have an orderly society”.

The JSC has not been reconstituted since 2017, despite commitments by President Irfaan Ali and Attorney General Anil Nandlall in recent months.

Constitutionally, the JSC is composed of the Chancellor, Chief Justice, Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) and such other members as may be appointed.