–including cases dating back nearly two decades

THE Court of Appeal of Guyana is scheduled to hear 31 civil appeals next Thursday, July 30, including matters that have been pending before the courts for almost two decades.
According to the official Cause List published on Thursday, the appeals have been fixed for consideration and/or dismissal and will be heard in person at the new West Wing Court before three panels of the appellate court.
The list reveals that most of the matters were filed between 2007 and 2008, highlighting the age of several disputes that are yet to be finally determined by the country’s second-highest court.
The appeals involve a wide range of litigants, including private citizens, commercial entities and State agencies, covering disputes that have made their way through the judicial system over several years.
Among the cases listed are multiple appeals involving Courts General Inc. and Aloma Fredericks, as well as matters involving the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Fidelity Investments Inc., The Bank of Nova Scotia, the former National Bank of Industry and Commerce Limited (NBIC), which has since been rebranded as Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited, and the Attorney General of Guyana.
The Cause List also includes appeals involving the Commissioner of Police and the Police Service Commission, along with a number of disputes between private individuals.
Other matters scheduled for hearing include appeals filed by or involving Kalika, Prince Trotman, Andrew Seecharan, Mohamed Rafeek and Bibi Zalikman Rafeek, Benjamin Halley also known as Natoo, Brian Validum, George Phillips, Patrick Nedd, Rabindranauth Mahadeo and Jasoda.
The list also includes appeals involving Hussain, also known as Walker, Abdool Ayube Wahab, Maurice Salomon, Ramlall Persaud, Narayan Nauth, Badri Prasad, Rehana Husain and Jorawar Misir.
Each appeal has been assigned to one of three hearing panels, with proceedings scheduled to commence from 09:30 hours and continuing throughout the morning.
The published list identifies the appellants, respondents and attorneys representing each party, including several senior counsel and prominent members of the local Bar. The matters have been distributed among Panels One, Two and Three, with separate hearing times assigned to ensure the orderly management of the court’s docket throughout the day.
While some of the matters are expected to proceed to hearing, others have been listed for possible dismissal. Such hearings allow the Court of Appeal to determine whether appeals have been actively pursued by the parties or whether they should be removed from the court’s docket in accordance with the applicable rules.
An appeal may be dismissed where the parties fail to comply with procedural requirements, do not actively pursue the matter or where the court determines there is no basis for it to proceed. In other cases, the court may issue directions to move appeals closer to a substantive hearing.
The exercise forms part of the court’s ongoing case management process aimed at advancing long-standing matters through the appellate system. Consideration and dismissal hearings are routinely used to identify appeals that are ready for hearing, require procedural directions or have remained inactive for extended periods.
The sitting comes as the judiciary continues efforts to improve the efficient management of civil appeals and reduce the backlog of outstanding matters before the appellate court.
The Court of Appeal will sit in person at the new West Wing Court on Thursday, July 30, with all 31 appeals scheduled to be called before Panels One, Two and Three.