THE President, as Guyana’s supreme executive authority, is vested with the exclusive prerogative to confer legal practitioners with silk, according to Attorney General and Minster of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall.

Nandlall made this argument in his written submissions in response to the application filed by Attorney-at-law Timothy Jonas, challenging the four Senior Counsel (SC) appointments that were made by former President David Granger last year. Jonas wants the court to revoke the appointments.

The AG’s statement was submitted to the High Court by Assistant Solicitor General Beverley Bishop-Cheddie and State Counsel Chevy Devonish.
Jonas, an Executive Member of A New and United Guyana (ANUG) is asking the court to grant an Order of Certiorari to quash the SC appointments of Attorneys-at-Law Jamila Ali, Roysdale Forde, Mursalene Bacchus and Stanley Moore. The Attorney General was named as the respondent in the matter.

The Attorney General, contended that proceedings like these give rise to novel issues in Guyanese jurisprudence not previously canvassed in a significant way.
He argued that the President, as the supreme executive authority, is vested with the exclusive prerogative and such a power was never vested in the Judiciary of Guyana.

Additionally, he said that the President’s prerogative to confer silk does not infringe on judicial independence, nor is it unconstitutional in any other way.
To this backdrop, Nandlall pointed out that Jones, in his submissions, claims that the court has an inherent jurisdiction to confer silk.
“This is emphatically denied, and the Applicant has not provided evidence of this,” the AG argued in his submissions.

He noted that the power to appoint Queen’s/King’s Counsel originated with the Monarch, and in Guyana’s case, was exercisable by the Governor, who was the Queen’s representative in British Guiana.

The powers of the Queen were exercisable by the Governor-General by virtue of the Guyana Independence Ordinance 1966, which powers included the prerogative to appoint silk.
Additionally, the common law of England, which included the prerogative of the Monarch to confer silk became the common law of Guyana since 1917 by virtue of the Civil Law of Guyana Act. The Republic Act then captured the, inter alia, prerogatives of the Queen, and vested same in the President of Guyana in 1970.
The President, he reiterated has the power to confer silk as part of his prerogative to confer honours.

“It is respectfully submitted that the dignity of Silk has become, by evolution of the convention, an honour. If we accept that the dignity of Silk is an honour conferred upon Attorneys-at-law as a mark of distinction, then it must be accepted that the President of Guyana, as the fountainhead of honours in Guyana has the power, or prerogative, to confer Silk as an honour,” the AG said in his submission.

The AG also cited Article 193 (Vii) of the Constitution of Guyana which contemplates the power of the President to bestow honours.
The Article states, “The Ombudsman shall not investigate any such action, or action taken with respect to any such matter, as is described hereunder: the grant of honours, awards or privileges within the gift of the President.”

UNLAWFUL
Jonas in his grounds said “The power and discretion to admit persons at the Bar of Guyana, to preside over such persons, to discipline, suspend and disbar such persons is conferred by the provisions of the Legal Practitioners Act and common law on the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana.”
He noted that the Full Bench of the High Court, had from time to time, exercised a discretion to confer on Attorneys-at-law who have practised with distinction before the court, the dignity of ‘Senior Counsel.’

As such, he is of the opinion that Granger’s announcement last December that Forde, Ali, Bacchus and Moore be appointed SC with effect from January 1, 2020 was unlawful.
“There is no statutory or other power conferred on the President of Guyana whether as President or otherwise to make such a decision or to appoint Attorneys-at-law to the dignity of Senior Counsel, and the decision by the President as communicated in the said publication is entirely void and of no effect,” Jonas submitted to the court.
He added: “Insofar as the (former) President, a member of the executive, purports to make a decision within the province of the inherent discretion of the High Court, his trespass into the realm of the judiciary violates Article 122 of the Constitution, and is illegal and void.”

Oral submissions will be made virtually before Judge Nareshwar Harnanan on December 14 at 10:00 hours. The Guyana Bar Association (GBA) and Attorney-at-law Hari Ramkarran SC were permitted to intervene, amicus curiae in the case.

On Wednesday, the Office of the President (OP) announced that Nandlall and Jonas will be appointed Senior Counsel with effect from October 30, 2020.
The announcement, OP said followed consultations between Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Yonette Cummings and His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
“Their appointments are due to their demonstrable knowledge of, and learning in, the law, and on account of their exemplary erudition and diligence in the practice of the law, and, by virtue of their distinguished contributions to the growth and development of Guyana’s jurisprudence and constitutional democracy,” the OP statement noted.