Dear Editor,

Let us understand when mention is made of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA), what organisation is meant.
Are we speaking about a body of sworn legal members, trained in the field of law, which profession, often described as noble, is one in which its practitioners would congregate, for discussions on issues of law, as practiced in their country, and how improvements can be made, for its update and modernisation, bringing into the realities of the national dynamics? Of course, this, from a layman’s view is what a National Bar Association ought to be. One is in no doubt, that such a culture had once been the traditional practice, which would have involved some of the nation’s greatest legal minds. But not these days.
Their legacy is being stripped of its hallowed clothing, unceremoniously trampled underfoot.
In fact, what today exists as a bar association has been hijacked by a political clique of attorneys, with an unmistakable political agenda, prosecuted for and on behalf of the PPP/C opposition. There are absolutely no apologies for saying so, since their track record over the past two years, particularly since the no-confidence motion (NCM) of December 2018, which has reflected a shameless, deliberate misinterpretation and distortion of the law to suit the criminal political ends of an opposition party, which former government needs no introduction to the culture of sleaze and corruption that had been its blue print.

Editor, what is so conspicuous from the face of this cabal of legal distortionists, is that they are representative of a particular set of dubious practitioners, that it causes one to ask the following questions:
• Do they represent, or speak for and on behalf of ALL the membership?
• Is there an ethnic divide in terms of national politics, existing within the body?
I hasten to answer that these regular legal sand dancers that would have added to the fomentation of the social tension, through the ever so often attempts to twist the law for political ends, do not speak for the entire body. Their shameless cohabitation with the PPP/C, to give an entirely different meaning to the decisions of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CC), stands out as their immoral damnation, as far as interpretation of the law is concerned. And to have that well-known overnight constitutional expert, and oil and gas authority, support a challenge mounted by the PPP/C to the legality of house-to-house registration, knowing fully well that it is enshrined in the national electoral laws, and had been used for such prior exercises, describes on which side of enshrined legal principles some of these unprincipled men and women in robes are. They have been practicing political opportunism, even within the sanctified precincts of the Court of Law.

This the latest statement, once again, hypocritical and opportunistic, coming from this legal association, from a segment of some illegal minds, about a looming “constitutional abyss” as a result of the four-month requirement for the reconvening of Parliament from the time of its dissolution, reflects a dangerous convenience and partisanship, for entirely vested interest reasons, which have no place in any proper collection of national laws.

First, on the basis of all the events that have been taking place, since March 2, inclusive of the deliberate attack on the constitutional process of GECOM by political forces well-known to these so called representatives of the law; and the many challenges mounted by its political horse to both stymie and abort the constitutional right of GECOM to complete the process of the March 2 general and regional elections, it was inevitable that meeting such a constitutional requirement would be difficult, if not impossible.

Second, there is a precedent for this constitutional deadline not being upheld, that dates back to general and regional elections held in 2006. Of course, whoever these legal mouthers are, should ask Bharrat Jagdeo about the background reasons for such a delay.
But this is what occurs when professionalism and sworn adherence to legal principles, become compromised, sacrificed in the process on the altar of dangerous political ends. This is what the PPP/C branch of the GBA has become. What a shame! What a bad example to the young attorneys as members, who are experiencing an immoral narrative which did not form part of their learning at Law School.

Regards,
Carla Mendonca