Acting Chief Justice tipped to act as chancellor

Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, 19:45 by Writer

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire could soon be sworn in by President Irfaan Ali to act as Chancellor of the Judiciary while Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings proceeds on just over two months of leave.

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton on Monday night told a GlobeSpan24x7 programme that the President has formally informed him that Ms George-Wiltshire would be acting as Chancellor. “The president wrote me a letter telling me that the acting Chancellor is going on leave and that he wants to promote Wiltshire-George to act as Chancellor,” he said.

Mr Norton frowned on Dr Ali’s approach instead of engaging in constitutionally required consultations in which the Opposition Leader’s consent is required. “Basically, what he is seeking to do is to ensure that he controls it and shift away from having to have agreement with the opposition,” he said, adding that he was optimistic that with the defeat of the Ali-led government, that approach would change.

The People’s Progressive Party Civic-led administration has consistently refused to say exactly why Justice George-Wiltshire and Justice Cummings are not being confirmed as Chief Justice and Chancellor respectively.

Former government minister Nigel Dharamlall and Attorney General Anil Nandlall had expressed repeated concerns about Guyana Court of Appeal decisions especially on political cases that had been subsequently overturned and the High Court rulings, many by the Chief Justice, upheld by the Caribbean Court of Justice.

CCJ presidents had voiced their displeasure with the failure of the Guyana government to appoint a substantive chancellor and chief justice.

The Opposition Leader said the law should not be changed to allow the National Assembly to appoint those two top judicial officers because the government would use its majority to appoint its preferred nominees. Instead, he said the President should continue to appoint the Chancellor and the Chief Justice after agreement from the Opposition Leader, but “we should look at mechanisms for breaking the deadlock.”