Admitting that the country is “woefully short” on the number of Judges and Magistrates on the bench, President Irfaan Ali today appointed the members of the Judicial Service Commission.

The members of the JSC who took the oath of office today are Acting Chancellor, Justice Yonette Cummings, Acting Chief Justice Roxane George, retired Acting Chancellor Carl Singh, retired Judge B.S Roy and Chairman of the recently reconstituted Public Service Commission, Manniram Prashad.

The Constitution requires the Chairman of the Public Service Commission to be a member of the Judicial Service Commission. The PSC was appointed just yesterday.

At a brief ceremony which was not open to the private media, the President said his government recognises and respects the independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers. He also noted the shortage of key judicial officers and the impact that shortage is having on the delivery of justice.

“Now that the JSC is in place, it is anticipated that some of those burdens will be lifted, and thereby allow for a smoother turning of the wheels of justice”, President Ali said.

He thanked the new members of the Judicial Service Commission for agreeing to serve, and urged them to maintain fairness and impartiality.

The President said “I only ask that you be faithful to your oath of office and that you guard seriously the independence, integrity and impartiality of ur judicial system to ensure it remains a cornerstone of our democratic system of governance.”

He pledged his government’s continued support for the local judiciary and its budget, promising investments in technology and infrastructure to better allow the judiciary to function.

The life of the last Judicial Service Commission came to an end in 2017. The Commission is responsible for among other things, the appointment of Judges and other Judicial Officers.

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