THE Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has taken a significant step towards enhancing transparency and strengthening the country’s judiciary by advertising key vacancies for magistrates and judges.

This move comes as part of a broader effort to address the backlog of pending cases within the judicial system and to provide relief to the overburdened judiciary.
Historically, the JSC used to ascertain and extend invitations to individuals it deemed qualified for judicial positions.
However, on Wednesday, the recently constituted JSC adopted a more open approach by advertising the positions of Magistrates and Judges in various regions. The JSC is also actively seeking individuals to fill administrative roles within the country’s courts.
The Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has welcomed this development, highlighting its alignment with principles of transparency, international best practices, and the Latimer House Guidelines.

“It is hoped that these advertisements are also published extra-territorially so that they attract suitably qualified persons locally, from the Caribbean Region, as well as the wider Commonwealth in order to facilitate the recruitment of persons of the highest possible calibre,” Nandlall said.
However, he pointed out that the vacancies for appointments to the Court of Appeal are not the subject of these advertisements.
In light of the amendments recently made to the Court of Appeal Act, increasing the complement of judges in that Court from five to nine, Nandlal said that there are vacancies in that Court as well.

He hopes that these vacancies will be advertised shortly as well.
In July, Chancellor (ag) of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards; Former Chancellor Justice Carl Singh; Retired Appeal Court judge BS Roy; Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George; and Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman, Manniram Prashad, were sworn in as JSC commissioners by President Dr. Irfaan Ali.
Justice Cummings-Edwards will serve as the chairman, while Justice George and Prashad will serve as ex officio members of the JSC.
The JSC, which has a three-year life, is responsible for making recommendations for judicial appointments and removing or exercising disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in judicial offices.

The JSC also advises the President on the appointment of judges, except for the Chancellor and the Chief Justice.
There has been a 20-year impasse on judicial appointments, with the last substantive Chancellor being Justice Desiree Bernard.
The current Chancellor and Chief Justice have both been acting in their respective positions for a number of years.
Guyana’s judicial system is not without its challenges, since the country is currently short of the full complement of judges and magistrates, and this has placed some amount of burden on the existing pool of judicial officers.