Five Senior Counsel were on Tuesday admitted to the Inner Bar during a special sitting of the Full Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature.
The five are: Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall; Roysdale Forde, MP; Timothy Jonas, Stanley Moore and Jamela Ali.
Nandlall, Jonas and Ali were elevated to ‘Silk’ on October 30 last by President Irfaan Ali while former President, Brigadier (ret’d) David Granger conferred Silk on Moore and Forde on January 1.
Senior Counsel Hari Narayen Ramkarran read the petition for the Attorney General and recognised his devotion to the legal profession since being admitted to practice law on October 21, 1998.
“Today, no one that read his submissions and listens to his arguments can fail to be impressed by the magnitude of his efforts and scholarships, the volume of authorities, the depth of analytical skills and the compelling and persuasive conclusions,” he said.
The AG, Mr. Ramkarran added, has a degree of passion for the legal profession that is seen in few, and a great leap forward in the development of the law and the administration of justice could be expected.
Meaanwhile, on his admission to the Inner Bar, Forde, who has been serving as an attorney for 23 years, expressed gratitude to the Almighty, his parents, wife and children as well as his mentors Senior Counsel Rex Mc Kay, O.R., and Keith Massiah, O.R.
“This morning, Madam Chancellor, I stand proudly before this Full Court to be admitted as a Senior Counsel. The first Attorney-at-Law from the first graduating class of the Bachelor of Laws from the University of Guyana to have been so appointed and admitted,” Forde said.
He added: “Madam Chancellor, this is therefore an achievement for all the Graduates of the Law Programme of the University of Guyana, and in particular of my Colleagues who endured the trials and tribulations, the headaches, uncertainty and trauma as we moved from year to year culminating with graduating in 1995.”
He said history will show that the admission of Senior Counsel by the Full Court in the year 2020 was preceded by litigation but such was neither necessary nor useful to establish the Constitutional legitimacy of the Institution of Senior Counsel. Further, he also championed the cause for the Guyana Bar Association to urgently implement a robust programme of continuing Legal Professional Development.
Chancellor of the Judiciary (Ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George presided over Tuesday’s special sitting. Justices of Appeal, Rishi Persaud, Dawn Gregory and Brassington Reynolds and other puisne judges were also in attendance both in court and virtually.
