Failure to appoint Chancellor/CJ, an act of ingratitude – Mursaline Bacchus SC

Senior Counsel Mursaline Bacchus wants several bodies and civil society to call on both President Irfaan Ali and Leader of the Opposition Joseph Harmon to appoint the Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George to their substantive positions. This call came as Mr Bacchus addressed a special full court that was sitting to admit him to the inner bar, “the failure to agree to your appointment is an unkindness, not only to yourselves but to the entire profession since there must be other judges who are aspiring to be later appointed Chancellor and Chief Justice,” Bacchus said.

The lawyer said that the legal community cannot continue to have two of the most foremost judges in acting positions, “I wish to make it clear that we on this side of the bar have remained quiet for too long over the acting positions of our Chancellor and Chief Justice, I feel that the time is right for the Guyana Bar Association, the Berbice Bar Association, the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers, the church and civil society to make their voice hear by all, and especially by his excellency the President and the Leader of the Opposition,” Bacchus asserted.

He called for call for public statements as he said these acting positions must be “brought to an end,” as he said the failure to appoint them may be seen as “an act of ingratitude”.

The President and the Leader of the Opposition are yet to have the required constitutional talks needs to make these appointments. The President recently said that the process has not been activated as yet while the Leader of the Opposition said that he is willing to meet to ensure that the appointments are made.