Dear Editor

SOMETHING is amiss at the Office of the Chief Justice and it needs urgent intervention in order to preserve the Honourable Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire’s S.C. integrity and that of the judicial system over which she presides as a Judge.

In a press release by the Supreme Court of Judicature Protocol and Communication Unit dated 24th July, 2019, which was carried in various sections of the media, it is stated at item 4), “The Honourable Chief Justice (ag) stated that the consequential orders of the Caribbean Court of Justice indicate that elections be held by September 18, 2019, or such longer period as the National Assembly determines.”

Eleven days later in her court, pressing over the case brought before her Kaieteur News, 3rd August 2019, in an article titled, “Election date long gone- Chief Justice,’ it is stated that, “Based on her understanding of the judgment and consequential orders by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Chief Justice Roxane George yesterday said that the date for general and regional elections, March 21, has long gone. In fact, Justice George noted that ‘we’ are supposedly in a period of an extension for the timeframe for holding elections, but that extension has not been agreed on. We are still waiting on the National Assembly to meet,” Justice George said as she commenced hearing arguments in the application filed by Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram.”

Evidently there are two conflicting positions as to the chief justice’s expressed understanding and statement, from the ruling and consequential orders of the CCJ, as to the minimum timeframe within which elections should be held. This has serious implications for the society and could lead to widespread misunderstanding, confusion and judgment on matters of important national interest.

The initial take away from the society that the election should be held by 18th September has created confusion in the system and lends justification to mistrust and open attack on GECOM by politicians, surrogates and sections of the media for acting in breach of the law by not obeying the CCJ’s rulings, and the attempt to disenfranchise thousands of Guyanese.

This also says to us as a nation that we have to be vigilant, for it is information that informs beliefs, actions and in this instance, the accuracy of the CCJ’s ruling and entitlement of all Guyanese to credible justice. The nation and all concerned deserve an explanation of this anomaly in order to allay fears of mistrust in the judiciary, upon which we depend to help us out of the current political dilemma we face. The credibility not only of the judge, but the judicial system is important.

Regards
Lincoln Lewis.