Judicial Service Commission begins process for more judges

As persons continue to lament over the backlog of court cases in the High Court, a reprieve may be soon in sight as the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) this week began interviewing candidates to fill positions for judges.

“I am pleased to inform you that the Judicial Service Commission, today, has commenced interviews to fill vacancies of High Court Judges and Land Court Judges. Today the interviews have begun…,” Attorney General Anil Nandlall announced on Tuesday evening during his Issues in the News programme on his Facebook page.

The Attorney General was referring to the complaints of residents, especially in Berbice, who have bemoaned long waiting periods for hearings on pending land court matters. “To those persons who have been waiting for an undue period of time for Land Court Judges in Berbice, the appointment process is ongoing and hopefully we will have Land Court Judges assigned and appointed to Berbice, in a short time.”

This newspaper understands that on Tuesday, more than eight persons were interviewed for the positions.

In October of last year, the Judicial Service Commission advertised for suitably qualified persons to fill the positions of judges and magistrates to serve in the 10 administrative regions. The deadline for submissions was November 20, 2023.

Last month, the JSC had announced in a press release that nine attorneys-at-law had been selected to serve as magistrates. The nine magistrates who were subsequently sworn in are: Omadatt Chandan, Tamieka Clarke, Abigail Gibbs, Tuanna Hardy, Shivani Lalaram, Michelle Matthias, Ravindra Mohabir, Teriq

Mohammed and Orinthia Schmidt.

Questions had been raised as to how the new JSC would go about filling the vacancies in the magistracy and the judiciary and there had been calls for these posts to be advertised as opposed to relying on the traditional system of inviting persons to fill these on the basis of their known qualities. Critics have said that system is purely subjective and not transparent.

According to the notice for puisne judges, applicants must:

i) be or have been a judge of a court of unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from such court; or

ii) qualified for admission to practise as an attorney-at-law in the courts of Guyana or as an attorney-at-law in a court in any other part of the Commonwealth, having unlimited jurisdiction either in civil or criminal causes or matters, and

iii) be qualified not less than seven years to practice in such court.

The advertisement said that it is desirable that applicants have a common-law background and knowledge and experience in criminal practice and procedure and civil practice and procedure. Applicants are also expected to possess a high level of personal integrity and if successful, are expected to subscribe to the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana Code of Conduct for Judges and Magistrates.

This newspaper understands that after the appointments of the magistrates and judges, another notice would be issued for judges for the Appeal Court where currently there are only three serving although the law caters for nine.