Latest update July 21st, 2026 1:09 AM
Norton says no consideration given to more senior judges
…opts out of judicial appointment consultation with Ali
Leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Aubrey Norton.
Kaieteur News – Leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton said he has opted out of consultations with President Irfaan Ali on the appointment of a judge to act as chief justice, because he feels no consideration was given to other judges senior to the one recommended by the president.
Norton told journalists Friday that he was aware Chancellor (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards was proceeding on leave for two months and Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne George will be substituting.
“One would have thought that if the government was going to operate in a fair way, they would have taken one of the senior judges to become the acting chief justice, because they say they will make the present acting chief justice the acting chancellor, and then you will promote someone. They have recommended to me one of the junior judges, (who) in the general view, has links to the People’s Progressive Party, and will not necessarily operate based on the rule of law,” he argued.
Norton explained that there are other judges who are senior to the one recommended, and no consideration was given to them. Additionally, he said such appointments do not need agreement, like the substantive appointments, they only demand meaningful consultations.
He lamented that the president “has not shown the ability to consult what was meaningful and so I thought it would be a waste of time… If I became involved in it, it would have come over as if I allow meaningful consultation…I know meaningful consultation wouldn’t occur, and so I thought, from a strategic standpoint, I should not engage on it at this time.”
The opposition leader also pointed out “that one would have thought that with elections one month away, he would not have gone into that direction. However, we expect to be in government, and those are issues we can deal with.”
Norton had said earlier that he received a letter from the president, indicating that the acting chancellor was proceeding on leave and that he was promoting Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire to act as chancellor. The president has also recommended the appointment of Justice Navendra Singh to act as chief justice.
Norton had expressed that he felt that President Ali was trying to control things and shy away from involving the opposition.
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