Chief Justice Roxane George to act as Chancellor; Nandlall disappointed by Norton’s lack of response

Chief Justice (Ag.) Roxane George is set to step up and perform the functions of Chancellor of the Judiciary, according to Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, who confirmed the development during his weekly Tuesday night commentary.

“This is such a productive move,” Nandlall said, explaining that President Dr. Irfaan Ali intends to designate the Chief Justice to act as Chancellor in the continuing absence of a substantive appointment.

Guyana’s top judicial posts — Chancellor and Chief Justice — have remained substantively vacant for nearly two decades due to the constitutional requirement for agreement between the President and the Leader of the Opposition. Successive leaders have failed to find consensus and efforts to break the deadlock have repeatedly collapsed.

President Ali wrote to Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton on July 4, requesting a response by July 15, but Norton has not replied to date.

In his remarks, Nandlall said that President Ali had “meaningfully consulted” the Opposition Leader on filling the posts but received no response within the legally required timeframe.

“One hand cannot clap,” Nandlall said. “There must be a meaningful response… You can’t have consultation without participation.”

This latest move means Justice George, already the country’s longest-serving acting Chief Justice since 2017, will now also function in the top judicial role of Chancellor — the head of the Court of Appeal.

The last substantive Chancellor, Justice Desiree Bernard, demitted office in 2005 when she was appointed to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Since then, a string of distinguished jurists, including Justices Carl Singh and Yonette Cummings-Edwards, have held the position in an acting capacity amid persistent political gridlock.

President Ali’s administration insists that the Constitution allows the President to act once reasonable consultation is attempted. “There is judicial guidance — the courts have made clear that both sides must engage sincerely,” Nandlall said.

The move to have Justice George assume both functions aims to ensure stability in the judiciary. “We can’t continue to have these key offices in limbo forever,” Nandlall argued.