President Irfaan Ali today swore in Justice Roxanne George as acting Chancellor of the Judiciary and Justice Navindra Singh as acting Chief Justice. The temporary appointments were made as Justice Yonette Cummings who has been performing the functions of Chancellor has headed off on two months of vacation leave.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Office of the President. The media was not invited to cover the event.

However, in a brief statement published on Facebook, the Office of the President said “the appointments were made in the interest of maintaining continuity and ensuring the efficient functioning of the Judiciary in the Offices of Chancellor and Chief Justice.”

Alluding to remarks made by the President during the swearing in ceremony, the Office of the President said that “the temporary filling of Justice Cummings absence reflects the administration’s commitment to justice, fairness and the rule of law, which are essential to the country’s democratic framework.”

Ahead of the appointments, President Ali wrote to the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton detailing his nominees for the acting positions but Norton declined to respond to the recommendations.

Norton said his response could have been interpreted as “meaningful consultation,” as such, in a strategic move; he opted not to respond to the president. Norton has been pressing the President since he became Opposition Leader to confirm Justice Cummings as Chancellor and Justice George as Chief Justice. The two have been in the acting positions since 2017.

For a Chancellor and Chief Justice to be appointed, there must be agreement between the President and the Opposition Leader as required by the Constitution.

Though not objecting to the appointment of Justice George as the acting Chancellor, Norton criticized the President’s nominee for the acting Chief Justice post, pointing out that there were more senior Judges who were overlooked for the acting appointment.

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