Courts

Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire on Thursday ruled that President Irfaan Ali’s appointment of Mr Clifton Hicken to act as Police Commissioner out of necessity and his “own deliberate judgement” was constitutional because there was no Opposition Leader and Police Service Commission (PSC) at the time. “There could be no disregard of and thereby a breach of the requirement for meaningful ...

The eight opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) parliamentarians were early Friday morning suspended for allegedly participating in unrest in the National Assembly, despite pending High Court action to block consideration of the Privileges Committee Report. The opposition legislators want the court to find that their constitutional right to a fair hearing has been violated because they ...

The High Court will next month rule on whether President Irfaan Ali breached Guyana’s Constitution by appointing Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken to act as Police Commissioner in the absence of an Opposition Leader with whom consultations are constitutionally required. Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire set August 11 when most likely a decision would be given on whether the President correctly invoked ...

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has told the High Court that President Irfaan Ali swiftly appointed Mr Clifton Hicken as acting Police Commissioner in the absence of an Opposition Leader and Police Service Commission because of ongoing threats from Venezuela, the need to enforce a raft a laws and manage the more than 7,000 strong police force which can exercise ...

Despite strenuously objecting to Attorney General Anil Nandlall’s request to for an extension affidavit in defence to deal with recent correspondence and the doctrine of necessity in the appointment of Mr Clifton Hicken as acting Police Commissioner, Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire on Friday allowed the application. Ms George-Wiltshire, however, said Mr. Nandlall would have to pay GY$50,000 in court cost ...

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton on Friday asked the High Court to order that there be no consultations between Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton and President Irfaan Ali next week Monday on the appointment of Mr. Clifton Hicken as acting Police Commissioner until a case challenging the constitutionality of the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) is determined. “Pending the hearing ...

Highly respected Guyana-born Justice Louise Blenman is tipped to be the next Chief Justice of Belize, according to a government statement from that lone Central American Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state. The Belize government says no Belizean  was among the eight applicants for the job that was advertised locally, regionally and through the Commonwealth Secretariat, in apparent response to scathing ...

Vice Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Vinceroy Jordan on Wednesday moved to the High Court to challenge President Irfaan Ali’s failure to consult the Opposition Leader on making permanent the appointments of Chancellor and Chief Justice. Through his lawyers Roysdale Forde and Selwyn Pieters, Mr. Jordan wants the court to order the President to consult with the ...

Shadow Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde said the persons charged with electoral fraud would have to decide their next step in light of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the 2020 general and regional elections. “There are persons charged who will decide on what is in there best interest. Every consideration will be taken ...

The Guyana government on Wednesday criticised Venezuela’s objection to admissibility of Guyana’s case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as a move aimed at delaying a ruling , but at the same time said it marked that Spanish-speaking neighbour’s participation in the legal proceedings. The Foreign Ministry said it welcomed Venezuela’s decision to finally participate in the legal proceedings. ...