President of the Bar Association of Guyana, Kamal Ramkarran, has issued a blistering call for Acting Chancellor, Justice Yonette Cummings and Acting Chief Justice, Justice Roxane George, to be confirmed in the top judicial positions.

The two Judges have been acting in the positions since 2017.

During his remarks at the opening of the 2025 Law Year in the compound of the Supreme Court this morning, Mr. Ramkarran noted that Guyana has been without a confirmed Chancellor for 20 years and without a confirmed Chief Justice for almost ten years.

Speaking before an audience that included senior members of the Judiciary as well as other Judges, Attorneys and members of the Diplomatic Community, Ramkarran said the situation cannot be allowed to continue as it currently exists.

“This situation is untenable and it is unacceptable and it is not something that we can continue to have happen. The Constitution is very clear and like in the no-confidence case as the CCJ said, the words of the Constitution are simple and they need no gloss, and it is the same in this situation. Article 127 (1) of the Constitution says that the Chancellor and Chief Justice shall each be appointed by the President after obtaining the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition. There is nothing complicated about that. The first part of it, it is a clear and unambiguous duty which the law says is compellable, the Chancellor and the Chief Justice shall each be appointed by the President, once there is a vacancy, a duty arises to appoint a Chancellor, and the second part of it says, acting after obtaining the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition. So the Opposition Leader has the power to proffer agreement or not, But there is nothing complicated about that and like any other power, it must be exercised properly, reasonably and within the confines of the law”, Ramkarran said.

He noted that a child who was born when the last Chancellor left office in 2005, may now be completing their University education, and there is still no appointment to the position. He said the current situation should not be accepted by anyone.

“The process is not complicated. There is no reason that we should be here 20 years later without a Chancellor and Chief Justice, and this is something that should not be accepted by anyone. Not by the judiciary, not by the people of Guyana, not by the lawyers, by no one”, the Bar Association President stated.

He said Justices Cummings and George have been performing the duties of the two positions without issue and therefore ought to be confirmed in the positions. He reminded that since 2018, the Bar Association passed a resolution supporting their appointments, and nothing has changed with that position.

“I certainly believe that the two people who are performing the role of Chancellor and Chief Justice, I don’t want to call them acting, because they are not acting, they are doing their jobs, the people who are performing the roles of Chancellor and Chief Justice are the people who should be confirmed in the positions and it should happen as soon as possible”, Mr. Ramkarran said.

Questioned on the issue recently, President Irfaan Ali said he is still actively considering the situation.

Almost three years ago, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton wrote to the President indicating his support of the confirmation of Justices Cummings and George to the two top judicial posts. Mr. Norton has stated that his support remains in place, and it is the President who has been refusing to move the process forward.

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