The committee appointed by the Law Association to make recommendations for a new system for the appointment of judges will not consider the ongoing fiasco over the short-lived appointment of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar.
The association’s president Douglas Mendes, SC, repeatedly made the statement while being quizzed by reporters following a press conference announcing the appointment of the seven-member committee at its office in Port-of-Spain yesterday.
While Mendes acknowledged that the association’s council had decided to form the committee after reports of the Ayers-Caesar’s controversial appointment and subsequent resignation, he said the issue was not within its remit.
“I have made it clear that the committee is anxious to let the public know that it is assessing the system of appointments and not about the events of the past six weeks,” Mendes said.
According to its term of reference, the committee is to “examine the constitutional and other arrangements pertaining to the selection and appointment of judges of the High Court and Court of Appeal and to make recommendations, including changes to the Constitution, current practices, procedures and selection criteria, with a view to ensuring due process, transparency and accountability whilst maintaining the dignity of judicial officers and the independence of the Judiciary”.
The members of the committee are former Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) judge Desiree Bernard (chair), the association’s vice president Rajiv Persad, veteran trade unionist David Abdulah, economist Terrence Farrell, university lecturer Tracy Robinson and attorneys Rishi Dass and Vanessa Gopaul.
Speaking briefly after yesterday’s ceremony, Bernard said she felt obligated to participate due to her lengthy judicial career in Guyana and the Caribbean.
“I think once you can you should do everything possible to uphold the dignity of the Judiciary,” Bernard said.
She said while she and the members were eager to start working, they already believe the process may take more time than the three months envisioned by the association. She said the committee will also be holding public consultations on the issue.
“The average man on the street does not know how the Judiciary operates and does not understand how much work going into it. We hope to meet with the public so that they can be more appreciative of the work of the Judiciary,” Bernard said.
