Several significant developments have taken place at the international level which can have global implications, foremost of which is the recent conviction of a former President of the United States Donald Trump.
Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of hush money which could result in a fine or imprisonment. This is unprecedented in United States presidential history. Trump, from all indication, will appeal the verdict which is likely to go well beyond the November 2024 presidential elections.

It is difficult to predict what implications the verdict could have on Trump’s re-election bid except that it is likely to further polarize an already fractured electorate, a significant number of whom view the court ruling as a form of political witch hunt ‘instigated’ by the Biden administration.

For the majority of the American people, however, it is a case of the application of the rule of law and the justice system at work. As noted by President Biden, no one is above the law. This is indeed one of the hallmarks of American jurisprudence.

A fair and unbiased system of justice is indispensable for a stable and civilized society. Any breakdown or aberration of the judicial process can have delirious effects on society and its constituent members. This is why the justice system must be strengthened and fortified at all costs. It is the foundation on which modern society rests.

In Guyana, we experienced attempts to subvert the judiciary to the diktat of the then-ruling party. Guyanese still recall the days of party paramountcy when the flag of the PNC flew over public buildings including that of the country’s highest court, the Court of Appeal. Thankfully, we have gone past those dreadful years.

Guyana is now essentially a law-governed and rule-based society and there is full separation of powers. Under the PPP/C administration, Legislative amendments were made in 2005 to allow for Guyana’s ascension to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the final Court of Justice.

This was indeed a visionary and forward-looking measure for which the PPP/C administration must be commended especially when seen against the back drop of recent attempts to derail the democratic process by the APNU+AFC during the March 2020 General and Regional elections. It is a fact that were it not for the ruling of the ICJ on the several aspects of infractions of the electoral process, the democratic outcome of the elections could have been derailed.

It is interesting to see what impact the conviction of Trump would have in the months ahead, especially in the context of an impending presidential election. Regardless of the sentencing which is expected on July 11, the mood is expected to be tense. A Trump victory could impact United States foreign policy, especially in terms of military assistance to Ukraine in the ongoing war with Russia. Domestically, there could be a different approach to the treatment of illegal immigrants, the numbers of which have increased significantly over the past few years.

The world is watching closely the outcome of the November presidential elections. The United States is a major player on the world stage both economically and politically and any policy changes both at the domestic and international levels could have far-reaching consequences for the rest of the world.