Jonas files Court action seeking revocation of four Senior Counsel Appointments

In the action which was filed against the Attorney General of Guyana on the 28th July, Mr. Jonas is contending that the status of Senior Counsel is important to the legal fraternity and he believes there is no statutory or other power conferred in the President to make a decision to appoint Attorneys-at-law to the dignity of Senior Counsel.

Jonas files Court action seeking revocation of four Senior Counsel Appointments

Attorney-at-law and Chairman of the small party, A New and United Guyana, Timothy Jonas, has filed action in the Court seeking the revocation of the President’s most recent appointment of four Senior Counsel.

Mr. Jonas who is being represented by Attorney Teni Housty wants the Court to quash the appointments of Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, Jamela Ayesha Ali, Mursaline Bacchus and Stanley Moore.

The four Attorneys were appointed Senior Counsel by President David Granger with effect from January 1, 2020.

In the action which was filed against the Attorney General of Guyana on the 28th July, Mr. Jonas is contending that the status of Senior Counsel is important to the legal fraternity and he believes there is no statutory or other power conferred in the President to make a decision to appoint Attorneys-at-law to the dignity of Senior Counsel.

Jonas’ position is that the President’s appointment of the four Senior Counsel is void and of no legal effect.

He further contends that the appointment of senior counsel is within the realm of the High Court and the President’s appointment would therefore be considered trespassing and therefore it would be of no legal effect.

The Attorney is asking the Court to issue an Order of Certiorari directed to the Attorney General quashing the President’s appointment of Forde, Moore, Ali and Bacchus as Senior Counsel.

The matter is set for hearing in September.

Since taking office in 2015, President David Granger has appointed a total of 17 Senior Counsel.

Nine were appointed in 2016, four were appointed in 2018 and another four were appointed in 2020.

Before the President’s 2016 appointments, the last batch of Senior Counsel were appointed 20 years before.

Of all the Senior Counsel appointments made by President Granger, Jonas is only challenging the most recent batch.

There were reports and whispers within the legal fraternity that Jonas was at one time being considered to be among the 2020 batch.

He never got that elevation.

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