PRESIDENT David Granger swore in Justice William Ramlal as the new Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority on Wednesday– a move intended to increase the public’s trust in the Guyana Police Force.

Addressing the backlog of cases before the authority would be the first order of business when the chairman settles in his new post. Ramlal, a retired judge of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana, who is specialises in criminal and civil law, was sworn in in the presence of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Chairman of the Police Service Commission Paul Slowe and Commissioner of Police Leslie James, at State House. The Police Complaints Authority was established under the Police Complaints Authority Act (1989) as an independent body vested with the powers to receive “complaints of specified cases of misconduct by members of the Police Force” and “supervise investigation of certain serious crimes alleged to have been committed by members of the Police Force.”

In his address, President Granger said Ramlall’s appointment is consistent with the government’s commitment to increasing public trust in the Police Force. “The authority can help to improve the level of public trust between the police and the public. The authority is a critical link between the police and the public. It provides a means through which the public can have its grievances against police malpractice addressed in an impartial manner by an independent person,” the President told those present.

He noted too that the PCA serves as a public defence against the force’s abuse of citizens’ rights, noting that it is an avenue that citizens can use to hold members of the force accountable for their actions. “The authority can engender greater public trust in the force by ensuring that the force’s actions are in conformity with respect for human rights, including the right to life and liberty – rights, which are guaranteed by the constitution,” President Granger further explained.

In an effort to effectively discharge its mandate, the authority must be honest, impartial, and independent, the President said, as he extended a hand of support from the executive branch.

Moments after receiving his instrument of appointment from President Granger, Ramlal told reporters that his first order of business would be getting acquainted with staff and assessing the backlog of cases. “There hasn’t been an authority there for a while, so I expect the backlog to be humongous,” he told reporters.

Ramlall, however, admitted that he has never visited the authority’s office. “I don’t have any idea at the moment what is the status of the affairs of the authority. I never went there, so until I get there and can assess what are the difficulties, I wouldn’t be able to comment on that,” the chairman said, when asked by the Guyana Chronicle if the authority is well equipped to execute its functions.

Ramlal 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 the Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School and was a part of several professional training programmes.

His appointment comes more than a year after former Chancellor of the Judiciary Cecil Kennard retired from the position in 2017.