Gender Equality Commission slams handling of Seeram remand order
October 16 2026
The Women and Gender Equality Commission has condemned what it describes as a “flagrant disregard for established Judicial process” following the failure of authorities to execute a court order to remand Daniel Seeram to prison.
In a press release issued by its Chairperson, Indranie Chandarpal, the Commission expressed concern that the handling of the matter could undermine public confidence in the justice system, particularly among victims of domestic violence.
Seeram was convicted on October 5, 2026, for assaulting his former spouse and causing actual bodily harm during an incident on September 11, 2023. He was ordered to be remanded pending sentencing, which is scheduled for November 2, 2026.
According to the Commission, Seeram applied for bail, arguing, among other things, that being remanded would interfere with his work because he had weekly meetings with his supervisor. The Magistrate denied the application and issued a warrant for him to be handed over to the Guyana Prison Service.
However, the Commission said the police failed to execute the order, prompting Seeram to approach the High Court through his attorney to challenge the Magistrate’s authority to remand him.
The Commission also questioned the State’s representation during the judicial review proceedings. Citing media reports, it said a Deputy Solicitor General from the Attorney General’s Chambers appeared in support of Seeram’s challenge to the Magistrate’s ruling.
Chandarpal noted that the Commission understood it to be customary for the State to represent the judicial officer in such matters and expressed concern that the Magistrate was not afforded the right of reply.
Although the High Court upheld the Magistrate’s ruling, the Commission said the police again failed to comply with the order to place Seeram in custody with urgency.
The Commission said it was astonished and distressed by what it described as the authorities’ failure to respect established judicial processes.
For more than 15 years, the Commission has worked throughout Guyana to educate the public, particularly women, that intimate partner violence and all forms of family violence must not be tolerated and that perpetrators should be brought before the courts.
It warned that the handling of the case could undermine those efforts and reinforce the perception that justice is not equally accessible to everyone, particularly when a person involved holds a position of power or is perceived to have the backing of influential individuals.
The Commission further warned that the case could discourage victims of abuse from believing they can obtain a just outcome through the justice system.
“The beating of one’s spouse is a serious matter.”
The Commission called on the relevant agencies to explain the rationale behind their actions, given their respective mandates.
Chandarpal said the matter raises serious questions about equality before the law and the public’s confidence in the administration of justice.
See full statement here:
“Brazen disregard for Judicial Process troubling
On October 5th 2026, Mr. Daniel Seeram was convicted and was ordered to be placed on remand for assaulting his former spouse and causing actual bodily harm back on September 11 2023. Coming some three years after the originating complaint, it should be noted that this incident was not the first of its kind between Seeram and his former spouse. On this occasion, he was convicted and remanded to prison pending sentencing scheduled for November 2nd 2026. Mr. Seeram made an application for bail stating among other things that he has a weekly meeting with his supervisor and being remanded would interfere with his work. The Magistrate denied the application and issued the necessary warrant to the police for Mr. Seeram to be handed over to the care of the Guyana Prison Service. A process that has been completed thousands of times by the Guyana Police Force. But for reasons not fully explained, the police did not execute the orders of the Court.
Mr. Daniel Seeram then approached the High Court through his attorney for a Judicial Review to question the authority of the Magistrate to place him on remand. According to media reports, the State was represented by no less a person than the Deputy Solicitor General from the Attorney General’s Office, appeared before the High Court in support of Mr. Seeram’s challenge to the Magistrate’s ruling. It should be noted here, that it is customary for the State to represent the Judicial Officer in such matters. In this case, the Magistrate was not even afforded the Right of Reply. In its wisdom, the High Court however, found no fault and upheld the ruling of the Magistrate. What is particularly troubling is that the Guyana Police Force not only flouted the Magistrate’s order, they failed again to comply with the Court’s order to place Mr. Seeram in custody once the High Court upheld the order with any urgency. The Women & Gender Equality Commission is astonished and distressed at the flagrant disregard for established Judicial process.
For the past fifteen plus years, the Commission has done extensive work throughout the length and breadth of Guyana to educate the public, women in particular, that intimate partner violence and indeed all forms of family violence must not be tolerated and that all perpetrators should be put before the Courts. The Commission works hard to persuade the public that the State and Judiciary have been trained and stand ready to respond to complaints and incidents of such violence. This case unfortunately, puts all of this into question and reinforces the view that justice is not for all. This case raises the very question of everyone’s equality under the law and undermines all that work, since this case is so public and involves a senior officer of the Government. We are now confronted by what can be characterized as a mockery of the said process.
It is no wonder that the public and persons who are victims of abuse do not believe they can expect a just outcome, especially when the perpetrator holds a position of power or is perceived to retain the backing of the powerful. The beating of one’s spouse is a serious matter. We therefore call upon the relevant agencies in this case, to explain the rationale of their actions given their mandate”
