More than five months after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) concluded interviews and recommended appointments for two critical judicial posts in Guyana, key stakeholders remain uninformed of the decision.
Back in January, the JSC recommended that Senior Magistrate Judy Latchman be appointed as the new Chief Magistrate and Alisha George as Deputy Chief Magistrate. This recommendation followed the appointment of Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus as a puisne judge by the JSC.
To date, none of the stakeholders, including the appointees themselves, have been informed of the decisions. According to a senior judicial official, the prolonged silence and lack of action have sparked concern within legal circles over the apparent non-implementation of binding decisions made by the JSC.
This publication understands that the Commission’s resolutions have yet to be formally communicated to the appointees, nor has a date for the official swearing-in ceremony been set. The delay, now stretching into half a year, has left the current transitional leadership of the magistracy in limbo.
The JSC, as a constitutional body, holds exclusive authority to make judicial appointments and promotions below the level of the High Court.
In February 2024, nine new magistrates were sworn in: Tuanna Hardy, Teriq Mohammed, Abigail Gibbs, Tamieka Clarke, Orinthia Schmidt, Shivani Lalaram, Michelle Matthias, Omadatt Chandan, and Ravindra Mohabir. At that time, Attorney General Anil Nandlall noted that the reconstitution of the Judicial Service Commission in July 2023 paved the way for these critical judicial appointments.
In 2024, ten individuals were recommended by the JSC for appointment as new judges and received their instruments of appointment from President Dr. Irfaan Ali. Those appointed included Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, Peter Hugh, Zamilla Ally-Seepaul, Deborah Kumar, Nicola Pierre, Priscilla Chandra-Hanif, Hessaun Yasin, Joy Persaud, Nigel Niles, and Jacquiline Josiah Graham. In October 2024, the JSC invited “suitably qualified persons” to apply for the positions of Chief Magistrate and Commissioner of Title.
The JSC was appointed by President Dr. Irfaan Ali on July 14, 2023, and its members include Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Manniram Prashad, and retired Justices Carl Singh and Beasraj Singh (BS) Roy. The Chancellor serves as the Chairman of the Commission.
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