Former Chief Magistrate and Senior Counsel K. Juman Yassin has raised serious concerns about recent acting appointments within Guyana’s judiciary, arguing that the circumstances surrounding the treatment of Acting Chancellor Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards have undermined confidence in the rule of law.
In a detailed letter to the editor, which appeared in several media outlets and is reproduced today by Village Voice News, Yassin said the lack of explanation surrounding key judicial appointments has fuelled speculation, embarrassment and public mistrust.
“I have been practicing law since 1971 and had the honour to have served as the Chief Magistrate of Guyana,” Yassin wrote, stressing that he has “never joined or been associated with any political party in Guyana” and that his views are rooted solely in concern for the judiciary and constitutional governance.
Yassin argued that when government decisions appear “out of the ordinary or not in conformity with what is expected because of past decisions,” an explanation is essential. Without it, he said, conjecture and rumours inevitably follow. He pointed specifically to what he described as a “lack of explanation and information” surrounding the acting appointments of Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire as Chancellor and Justice Navindra Singh as Chief Justice.
Under Article 127(2) of the Constitution, Yassin noted, the President has the authority to appoint judges to perform the functions of Chancellor or Chief Justice after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. However, he cautioned that such discretion must be exercised in a “sound, reasonable” manner and in keeping with established custom and experience.
While making clear that he holds no personal grievance against the judges involved, Yassin described Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire as “the brightest and most learned judge in Guyana” and said she is “destined to be elevated to the Caribbean Court of Justice sometime in the future.”
To support his concerns, Yassin laid out a detailed chronology of judicial appointments and events dating back to 2017, including the appointment of
Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud, the elevation of Justice Navindra Singh to the Court of Appeal in May 2025, and Justice Singh’s role in issuing a key injunction during the 2020 elections.
He also referenced President Irfaan Ali’s May 26, 2025 announcement setting September 1, 2025 as the date for General and Regional Elections, followed by Acting Chancellor Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards proceeding on leave on August 4, 2025—leave that covered the election period.
The following day, August 5, President Ali swore in Justice George-Wiltshire to act as Chancellor and Justice Singh to act as Chief Justice.
Yassin said confusion arose when Justice Cummings-Edwards returned from leave on October 23, 2025 and resumed her office at the Court of Appeal. Justice George-Wiltshire, believing her acting appointment as Chancellor had ended, returned to the Supreme Court to resume her duties as Acting Chief Justice, only to find she could not access her chambers, which were still occupied by Justice Singh.
The incident was reported in a Kaiteur News article headlined “Confusion in the Courts – Chief Justice shut out of chambers after Chancellor’s return.”
Yassin noted that “up to the date of writing this article, there has been no explanation” for the incident. Several hours after the report, President Ali announced that Justice George-Wiltshire would continue as Acting Chancellor and Justice Singh would remain Acting Chief Justice.
More significantly, Yassin described as “startling and unexpected” the President’s announcement that Justice Cummings-Edwards would proceed on pre-retirement leave. “Prior to this there had been no indication or rumour of her going on pre-retirement leave. Not a whisper!” he wrote.
Yassin said he was informed that Justice Cummings-Edwards had approximately two years remaining before retirement and argued that the absence of any public explanation has led him to draw conclusions based on “the facts and the circumstantial evidence before” him.
Among those conclusions, Yassin suggested that Justice Cummings-Edwards may have fallen out of favour with the government due to majority decisions of the Court of Appeal relating to the 2020 elections—decisions later overturned by the Caribbean Court of Justice.
He further contended that a plan may have been formed during her leave to remove her from office and to position Justice Navindra Singh as Acting Chief Justice to preside over any election-related matters. In doing so, Yassin argued, senior Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud—appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2017—was bypassed despite long-standing practice that the most senior appellate judge be appointed when necessary.
“I am unable to make a firm conclusion” on whether Justice Singh’s appointment was always intended to continue, Yassin wrote, but said he was on “safe grounds” to conclude that a decision had been made before Justice Cummings-Edwards returned from leave that she would be forced or enticed to retire.
Yassin said Justice Singh’s failure to vacate Justice George-Wiltshire’s chambers could only be explained if he had been instructed to remain. He described Justice Singh as “a decent, honourable and ambitious person” who “would never, never shut her out of her office if he was not instructed to do so.”
While faulting the process, Yassin praised Justice Singh’s performance since assuming the role, noting improvements in probate and letters of administration timelines and the prompt delivery of decisions. However, he maintained strong opposition to the bypassing of Justice Persaud without explanation.
Yassin fully endorsed the appointment of Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire as Acting Chancellor and called for her confirmation “as quickly as possible,” arguing that prolonged acting appointments have become “a blight on our judiciary.”
His views align with repeated calls from the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), which has urged the confirmation of Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards as Chancellor and Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire as Chief Justice. The GTUC has said that Justice Cummings-Edwards’ decision to proceed on pre-retirement leave has only heightened the urgency for her confirmation, warning that extended acting appointments weaken institutional stability and public confidence in the judiciary.
In closing, Yassin said, “What was done to Madam Cummings-Edwards to force her to retire without giving her the opportunity to retire with dignity was wrong,” adding that it failed to respect her decades of public service.
He warned that if his conclusions are correct, the episode is “not good for the judiciary and for Guyana,” and expressed disappointment that the Guyana Bar Association “remained silent on this issue.
