Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards on early retirement

Oct 25, 2025 News

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…Justices Roxane George, Navindra Singh to act as Chancellor, Chief Justice

(Kaieteur News) – Amid reports of confusion in the judiciary following the return of Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards CCH, OR, from annual leave, President Irfaan Ali on Friday announced that she will be proceeding on early retirement and that Justices Roxane George-Wiltshire and Navindra Singh will continue to perform the duties of Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary and Acting Chief Justice, respectively.

During a live broadcast, President Ali said that Justice Cummings-Edwards has requested to proceed on pre-retirement leave beginning Monday, October 27, 2025. “I take this opportunity to thank Madam Justice Cummings-Edwards for her long service to the judiciary and the people of Guyana. I express my personal appreciation for her many years of public service,” President Ali said.

The president also disclosed via a Facebook post that he administered the oath of office to Justice Singh as a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) at State House. Justice Singh will serve a three-year term on the Commission, which was reconstituted in July 2023 after a six-year hiatus.

On Friday afternoon, News Source Guyana reported that president Irfaan Ali has written to outgoing Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton seeking his consensus on the substantive appointment of Justice George as Chancellor and Justice Singh as Chief Justice.

“Mr. Norton received the letter from the Government this afternoon,” the news agency said. However, when Kaieteur News contacted Norton, he said he is traveling to Kwakwani and he would check when he receives internet connection.

It is important to note that in 2022 Norton had informed President Ali that he agreed to the confirmation of Justice Cummings-Edwards and Justice George as Chancellor and Chief Justice, respectively.

Kaieteur News reported then that Norton through the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) member and attorney-at-law, Roysdale Forde, presented a letter to Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, informing the government of the Opposition’s support for the appointment of the Chancellor and Chief Justice.

In the letter dated June 7, 2022, Forde told the Minister that: “This serves to inform you that the Leader of the Opposition Mr. Aubrey C. Norton is in agreement that Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards be appointed Chancellor of the Judiciary and Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire be appointed Chief Justice in keeping with Article 127 (1) of the Constitution which states that ‘The Chancellor and the Chief Justice shall each be appointed by the President, acting after obtaining the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition’.”

To this end, Norton told members of the media that since the Opposition Leader has already fulfilled his constitutional responsibility, the President is now charged with making the appointment.

However, no action was taken by the president.

Notwithstanding, Kaieteur News reported in Friday’s publication that when Justice Cummings-Edwards resumed duties and returned to her chambers, Justice George-Wiltshire had reportedly been unable to access her office, which was occupied by Justice of Appeal Navindra Singh, who substituted for her while she performed the functions of Acting Chancellor.

Earlier on Friday, before the president’s announcement, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton had addressed the matter at a press conference. Norton said he expected Justice Cummings-Edwards to resume her duties as Acting Chancellor based on the president’s earlier correspondence. Quoting from President Ali’s July 10, 2025 letter, Norton noted that the president had granted Justice Cummings-Edwards three months’ leave until October 15, 2025, and appointed Justice George-Wiltshire to act as Chancellor during that period.

“Consequently, it follows that on the resumption of duty by Justice Cummings, she will be the acting Chancellor and that Justice George will revert to being the acting Chief Justice. This is the APNU understanding of the present situation,” Norton said.

However, by Friday evening, President Ali announced that Justice Cummings-Edwards had opted for pre-retirement leave, clearing the way for Justice George-Wiltshire and Justice Singh to continue in their acting roles.

Justices George-Wiltshire and Singh were sworn in by President Ali on August 4th, when Justice Cummings-Edwards commenced her vacation leave. Justice George was appointed acting chancellor, while Justice Singh was elevated to act as chief justice.

During the acting appointments in August, President Ali had stated that the decisions were made in the interest of maintaining continuity and ensuring the efficient functioning of the judiciary in the offices of chancellor and chief justice. The president also said the temporary filling of the chancellor’s post in the absence of Justice Cummings-Edwards, “reflects the administration’s commitment to justice, fairness and the rule of law, which are essential to the country’s democratic framework.”

Despite this move, the top two spots in Guyana’s judiciary have substantively remained vacant, due to the requirement in the constitution that both the leader of the opposition and the president must agree on the persons before they can be appointed. Although there have been numerous calls by a number of political parties and organisations to substantively appoint the acting persons to the posts, the spots have remained substantively vacant for over 20 years, with attempts to break the ‘deadlock’ going to no avail.

In May of this year, President Ali said that he was still examining the issue of appointing the substantive holders to the office of chancellor and chief justice.

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• Chief Justice, Irfaan Ali, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Navindra Singh, retirement, Roxane George – Wiltshire

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