Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 May 2025, 0:01 by Writer
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on Tuesday announced that five serving High Court judges and two attorneys-at-law have been picked to become judges of the Court of Appeal.
They are Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, Justice Navindra Singh, Justice Nareshwar Harnanan, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, Justice Damone Younge, Attorney-at-Law Dr. Joycelin Kyte-Thomas and Attorney-at-Law Mr. Rafiq Khan, SC.
The JSC said President Irfaan Ali has fixed Wednesday, May 21, 2025, as the date for the swearing-in of five of those members.
“Due to the exigencies of office and the need to address outstanding matters”, the JSC said Mr Khan and Justice Younge would be taking the oath of office at a later date.”
“History is being made in Guyana as this is the first time in the history of our courts that so many Judges will be appointed at one time to the Court of Appeal,” the Commission said.
Last month, the National Assembly approved legislation to increase the number of Court of Appeal judges from nine to 11.
Justice Jo-Ann Barlow was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Guyana in June 2015 and has served in that position to the present.
She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados, where she obtained a Bachelor of Laws Degree with Honours and later obtained the Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad and Tobago.
She was called to the bar in Guyana in October 1996.
Justice Barlow served in the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions from 1996 to 2015 from the position of State Counsel, rising to the position of Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.
Justice Navindra Singh has served as a High Court Judge for 12 years having been appointed to that post in October 2012.
Justice Singh holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from St. John’s University, New York and a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Guyana.
He obtained his Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad and Tobago.
Justice Singh was admitted to practice before the Courts in Guyana in October 2001.
Upon admission to practice Justice Singh joined the Bar and was in private practice for six years.
Justice Singh was also admitted to the New York Bar.
He practised and conducted trials before the New York City Civil and Criminal Courts, the New York State Supreme Court and the United States Immigration Court.
Justice Singh was listed in the 2011-2012 edition of the Stanford’s Who’s Who Black Book, United States of America which recognizes individuals with outstanding leadership or achievement in their occupation, industry or profession.
Since becoming a High Court Judge from 2012 to present, Justice Singh has presided over a number of civil cases and high-profile criminal cases.
Justice Nareshwar Harnanan graduated from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados with a Bachelor of Laws degree and the Hugh Wooding Law School, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago with a Legal Education Certificate.
He was admitted to the Guyana Bar in October 2001.
Thereafter, he joined the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs as a State Counsel.
Prior to becoming a High Court Judge, Justice Nareshwar Harnanan served in the Attorney General’s Chambers for over 11 years.
He held positions as Senior Legal Advisor, Principal Legal Advisor and Deputy Solicitor General.
He was appointed a Judge of the High Court in October 2012.
Justice Harmanan is also a Chevening Scholar, having successfully read for a Master of Laws degree in International Commercial Law at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
After being appointed to the High Court Bench Justice Harnanan presided mainly within the civil jurisdiction and he has also done some work in the criminal jurisdiction.
He is also a member of the Judicial Education Institute of Guyana [JEI-G] and a Fellow of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute [CJEI] in Halifax, Canada.
Justice Harnanan has been involved in the implementation of technological solutions within the justice system.
He has participated in training and was certified in Caseflow/and Workflow Management under the Institute for Court Management of the National Center for State Courts, USA.
Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree (Pass with Credit) from the University of Guyana (1999) and a Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School (2001).
In July 2001, she joined the Attorney General’s Chambers & Ministry of Legal Affairs.
On 12 October 2001, she was called to the Bar and was appointed State Counsel in the Attorney General’s Chambers & Ministry of Legal Affairs.
In May 2005, she was appointed a Magistrate and was subsequently promoted to the position of Senior Magistrate in 2008, Principal Magistrate in 2010 and subsequently Chief Magistrate in 2011.
In June 2015 she was appointed a Puisne Judge and has held that position for almost 10 years.
She has experience in the civil and criminal jurisdictions of the High Court.
Justice Sewnarine-Beharry is a fellow of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute and a member of the Judicial Education Institute of Guyana (JEI-G).
Justice Sewnarine-Beharry has served as member of the Criminal Procedure Rules Review Committee and Criminal Justice Sentencing Committee on Proposed Guidelines for Pleas and MSI.
Mrs. Joycelin Kyte-Thomas has over 23 years of legal experience as an Attorney-at-law.
She received an LLB from the University of Guyana in 1999 and a Legal Education Certificate (LEC) from the Hugh Wooding Law School in 2001.
She holds two Master of Laws degrees from the University of London.
She also holds a Doctorate in Conflict Resolution from the University of Euclid.
After being admitted to the Bar, she served in Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions as a State Counsel.
Thereafter, she was appointed a Magistrate and subsequently went into private practice.
She later became Solicitor General in the Attorney General’s Chambers and Managing Attorney of the Law Firm of Kyte, Small & Barker.
She has served as a Lecturer at the University of Guyana for a number of years and she held positions of Head and Reader of the Department of Law at the University of Guyana.
Rafiq Turhan Khan was admitted to practice in Guyana in 1984 after graduating from University of the West Indies with a law degree and obtaining a Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica.
He joined Cameron & Shepherd the same year as an associate counsel and became a partner in 1986.
Mr. Khan is the leading practitioner in intellectual property in Guyana and has represented the government at intellectual property conferences in Geneva and Ecuador.
He served on the Legal Practitioners Committee for several years, is a member of the Rules Committee charged with revising the Rules of the High Court and acted as a Judge of Appeal for 6 months in 2018.
Mr. Khan has also lectured in contract and equitable remedies at the University of Guyana.
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