Chief Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire this afternoon ruled that the ongoing house-to-house registration exercise is not illegal and is not unconstitutional.

However, she also indicated that there is no residency requirement for registration.

The Chief Justice also ruled that the Court cannot set a date or timeline by which elections should be held.

The applicant, Christopher Ram, through his Attorney wanted the Court to direct the elections to hold elections by the 18th September.

But the Chief Justice referred to the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice and said that Court did not fix a date or imply that elections be held by any specific date.

She said it is not for the Court to set a date or timeline and the Court will not usurp the Constitutional authority of the executive. The Chief Justice said it will now be up to the politicians to return to the Parliament and grant an extension.

On the issue of the house-to-house registration exercise, the Chief Justice ruled that there is nothing unconstitutional or unlawful about it.

She said the law caters for GECOM to use the house-to-house registration exercise and other methods to verify and compile the national register.

The Chief Justice noted that persons who would already be on the national register but may not be resident during the house-to-house registration exercise, cannot be removed from the list since there is no residency requirement to be registered.

Attorney for Christopher Ram, Opposition MP Anil Nandlall told reporters that he intends to appeal the Court’s ruling since there cannot be any open date for elections. He maintains that the Court could have set a date or timeline.

He however, noted that it was important that the Court zeroed in on the residency requirement issue.

Attorney General Basil Williams welcomed the Court’s decision on the house to house registration and the date for elections.

The Attorney representing the interests of GECOM has indicated that he will advise that there be an appeal of the ruling with regard to residency and registration.

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