PRESIDENT David Granger has written to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo to inform him of his intention to appoint Justice William Ramlall as Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA).

This appointment accords with Section 3 (1) of the Police Complaints Authority Act, Cap. 17:02, the Ministry of the Presidency said on Thursday.

Justice Ramlall, a retired judge of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana, specialises in criminal and civil law, particularly in the areas of analysis and assessment of evidence, the writing of judgements and the interpretation of statutes, among other skills.

He also served as a magistrate for several years; a State Counsel in the Attorney General’s Chambers; a teacher of Commercial Law and led a successful private practice. The retired judge attended the University of Guyana, where he read for the Bachelor of Laws Part One before proceeding to the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, where he completed Parts Two and Three. He is also the holder of a Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School and was a part of several professional training programmes.
Mr. Ramlall’s appointment is coming months after former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Cecil Kennard retired from the position. President Granger hailed Justice Kennard’s work as exemplary. The PCA was established by the Police Complaints Authority Act in 1989, under former President Hugh Desmond Hoyte’s administration to be an independent, investigative institution, which would receive complaints from members of the public about alleged criminal offences committed by members of the Guyana Police Force. However, the PCA has never functioned with full autonomy in accordance with the functions prescribed by the PCA Act. The body is neither independent nor investigative, as it relies on the government through the Ministry of Public Security for staff and financing and is also dependent on the Guyana Police Force for the conduct of investigations.