The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is calling on the Government of Guyana and the incoming Parliamentary Opposition to confirm Acting Chancellor Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards as Chancellor of the Judiciary, with her appointment backdated to March 2017.
The GTUC’s call comes ahead of the convening of the 13th Parliament on November 3, where the Opposition will comprise, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) with 16 seats, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) with 12 seats, and the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) with one seat, in the 65-seat National Assembly.
In its statement, the GTUC argued that Justice Cummings-Edwards’ performance as Acting Chancellor was never questioned or found wanting during her eight-year tenure, and that established industrial relations principles dictate she should be confirmed from the date of her appointment to the date of her retirement.
“During the period she performed as Acting Chancellor, the Justice was never summoned or informed that she was not performing. The fact that there has been no complaint about her performance means she should be confirmed from the date of her appointment to the date of her retirement,” the GTUC stated.
The Congress further said that the same principle should apply to former Acting Chancellor Justice Carl Singh and the late Justice Ian Chang, who served as Acting Chief Justice — both of whom the GTUC has previously advocated to have confirmed.
“In established industrial relations principle — which Guyana should be honouring — where an individual acts in a vacant position, their performance is subject to ongoing assessment. In the case of Justice Cummings-Edwards, no authority has ever stated that she was underperforming. For this reason, the GTUC insists she must be confirmed as Chancellor, after which any issue concerning her continued tenure could be addressed,” the statement continued.
The GTUC condemned what it described as a lack of good faith on the part of the authorities, saying: “A worker cannot be acting in a position for years and, after eight years, be told they have not performed and should therefore step down from this position. This reflects a lack of good faith on the part of their functioning superior, who in this case is President [Irfaan Ali].”
Highlighting Justice Cummings-Edwards’ record, the union noted that she “presided over the advancement of the Judiciary” and received two of Guyana’s highest national awards — the Order of Roraima (OR) and the Cacique’s Crown of Honour (CCH) — in recognition of her service.
The GTUC expressed concern over what it described as the “surreptitious removal” of Justice Cummings-Edwards upon her return from leave, citing Article 127(2) of the Constitution of Guyana, which governs the appointment and reinstatement of the Chancellor and Chief Justice.
When Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards returned to work on October 15, then Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire sought to revert to her acting position as Chief Justice. However, Justice Navindra Singh, who had been acting as Chief Justice while George-Wiltshire acted as Chancellor during Cummings-Edwards’ leave, reportedly refused to vacate his position to make way for a return to the status quo ante— a move widely viewed as having the consent of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration.
The GTUC said it was “disappointing that the agreement between Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton and President Irfaan Ali, as referenced in the letter dated 10th July 2025, when Justice Cummings-Edwards proceeded on leave in August, was breached when Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards returned in October 2025.”
Quoting Article 127(2), the GTUC reminded that, “until a person has been appointed to and has assumed the functions of such office or until the person holding such office has resumed those functions, as the case may be, those functions shall be performed by such other of the Judges as shall be appointed by the President after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.”
According to the GTUC, when Justice Cummings-Edwards returned to duty, “the necessary process should have been activated to reinstate her to her acting appointment. However, it appears she was forced out by an untenable situation created by Justice Singh’s presence and the President’s breach of good faith.”
“At a time when the Judiciary is facing its most crucial test regarding ethics and decency, and the country is struggling against efforts to undermine the rule of law, both the Government and the Opposition should have upheld the Constitution and reminded the nation of the importance of adherence to Article 127(2). The failure to do so has eroded confidence and hope among citizens in the judicial system,” the statement said.
The GTUC added that “some semblance of decency, respect for established industrial relations practice must be resorted to a situation that has gone awry and adversely impact[ed the dignity of the worker and the working environment.”
The union concluded by calling on the Irfaan Ali administration to “backdate Cummings-Edwards’ appointment as Chancellor so that she may receive the appropriate benefits and full recognition for the office she faithfully served — without complaint or disrepute — over the years.”
It also urged the Opposition — APNU, WIN, and FGM — to “demand this corrective action.”
