Political scientist and former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government minister Dr. Henry Jeffrey is questioning whether former Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards was effectively constructively dismissed, arguing that the circumstances surrounding her departure raise serious questions about workers’ rights, judicial independence and the exercise of executive power.
In an August 30 opinion piece in Future Notes, Jeffrey examined the circumstances surrounding Cummings-Edwards’ early retirement and argued that the case should be viewed not simply as a change in the leadership of the judiciary, but through the broader principles governing forced or coerced resignations.
Jeffrey began with a stark labour-law principle from Clarke v. Keystone Bank Ltd. & Anor. [2015]:
“It is an unfair labour practice under ILO Convention to advise or coerce a worker to resign. No matter what the management think an employee should never be asked, advised or forced to resign.”
Jeffrey, who served as Minister of Labour in the 1992 PPP government, said he had been responsible for securing major labour legislation, but accused the current administration of abandoning what he described as a progressive approach to labour relations.
He argued that the treatment of a senior judicial officer should concern workers far beyond the judiciary.
“If the State can treat high-level employees so shabbily woe be upon the working class as other employers follow suit.”
Cummings-Edwards had been acting Chancellor since 2017. The constitutional framework requires the President to obtain the agreement of the Opposition Leader for substantive appointments to the offices of Chancellor and Chief Justice. The two positions remained substantively vacant for years.
In 2022, then Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton formally indicated that he agreed with Cummings-Edwards being appointed Chancellor and Roxane George-Wiltshire Chief Justice. The appointments nevertheless did not occur.
The dispute intensified in October 2025 after Cummings-Edwards returned from leave. During her absence, George-Wiltshire had acted as Chancellor while Justice Navindra Singh acted as Chief Justice. Kaieteur News reported that after Cummings-Edwards returned, George-Wiltshire was unable to access her chambers because they were occupied by Singh.
Days later, President Irfaan Ali announced that Cummings-Edwards would proceed on pre-retirement leave. The President said she had requested the arrangement. George-Wiltshire and Singh subsequently continued in the acting positions.
Jeffrey argues that the circumstances warrant examination against the concept of constructive dismissal—where an employee leaves employment because the employer’s conduct effectively makes continued employment untenable.
He cited the Central Bank of Nigeria v. Aribo case, in which a court found that an employee who resigned amid circumstances involving alleged pressure had been constructively dismissed.
Jeffrey said courts can consider evidence such as communications, the wording of resignation documents, inadequate notice, denial of access to workplaces or tools, and pressure from others when determining whether a resignation was genuinely voluntary.
The most explosive element of his analysis concerns claims attributed to Norton about the role of CCJ President Justice Winston Anderson.
According to Kaieteur News, Norton said Anderson personally engaged him over the appointments of Guyana’s Chancellor and Chief Justice. Norton said he made clear that he opposed superseding Cummings-Edwards.
Jeffrey went further, citing a later report that attributed to Norton an allegation that Anderson pressed him to accept government-preferred candidates, allegedly telling him:
“Roxane George was an Afro Guyanese, so you got one”
and encouraging him to “put his name in the history books.”
Those are allegations attributed to Norton, not established findings against Anderson.
Jeffrey nevertheless contends that, if the claims are accurate, Anderson’s involvement went beyond encouraging the filling of judicial vacancies and potentially placed him within a broader process surrounding Cummings-Edwards’ departure.
The former Chancellor has since secured a new senior judicial appointment: in April 2026, it was announced that Cummings-Edwards had been appointed Chief Justice of the Turks and Caicos Islands, taking office on May 1.
Jeffrey’s central question remains whether Cummings-Edwards actually chose early retirement freely—or whether the circumstances surrounding her departure amounted to constructive dismissal.
And, he asks pointedly, if she was constructively dismissed, what court could she ultimately have appealed to?
