Justice Winston Anderson, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), visited Guyana in mid-October 2025 for the swearing-in of Guyanese, Justice Arif Bulkan as a Justice of the CCJ on October 16. His visit coincided with the return of Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards from a two-month vacation and the controversial events leading to her removal as acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, raising questions about his role and its impact on judicial independence.
Aubrey Norton, Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) and former opposition leader, at a press conference on Friday, November 7, said he was engaged by Justice Anderson regarding the appointment of a substantive Chancellor of the Judiciary and Chief Justice. “All I would say to you is that I was engaged by him. I gave him my views on the situation and outside of that I know of no other role he would have played,” Norton told reporters.
He said he ended the meeting once he realised the discussion was not aligned with what he believed was in the best interest of the country. While he could not confirm whether the engagement was at the request of President Irfaan Ali or initiated by Justice Anderson, he noted, “It would be reasonable to say I suspect so.”
Norton stressed that he opposed any supersession of Justice Cummings-Edwards. “I made it very clear in that meeting that I am opposed to supersession of any kind, including superseding Cummings, and when I started to talk to him, I made the assumption that he knows my position on supersession and, therefore, he was engaging in that context. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, and I ended it,” he said.
While his party has historically supported the CCJ, Norton said recent events raise concerns about the court’s impartiality, particularly when dealing with a government that does not fully adhere to Westminster conventions.
President Ali subsequently announced that Justice Cummings-Edwards had requested pre-retirement leave beginning October 27, 2025—a move widely seen as an attempt to pressure her out, given that acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh had refused to step down and thereby blocked a return to the status quo ante upon Cummings-Edwards’ return from vacation.
President Ali further announced that acting Chief Justice Roxane George would continue as Chancellor, while Justice Navindra Singh assumed Justice George’s previous duties.
Calls from civil society and international organisations for the substantive appointments of Justice Cummings-Edwards and Justice George-Wiltshire went unheeded, fueling concerns over political interference.
The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) condemned what it described as an unjust dismissal of Justice Cummings-Edwards, accusing Justice Anderson of acting as an intermediary for the government to coerce her into early retirement. The CGID also said Anderson engaged the Opposition Leader during his visit, allegedly to secure support for the President’s decision—a move the Opposition Leader reportedly rejected. Justice Cummings-Edwards, a decorated jurist with decades of experience, had served as acting Chancellor since 2017.
Village Voice News reached out to CGID President, Rickford Burke, who confirmed that the body had written to the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC) and received a response that the matter would be looked into.
The controversy has prompted broader questions about judicial ethics and integrity. What role, if any, did Justice Anderson actually play in Justice Cummings-Edwards’ removal, and does such involvement by a regional judicial figure compromise the principles of judicial independence? Critics argue that any perception of coercion or partiality at the CCJ threatens public confidence in the region’s highest appellate court and underscores the need for transparency in matters of judicial appointments.
