With the retirement of Attorney General Doodnauth Singh, SC, the legal community is waiting with bated breath for the appointment of his successor.
Former Attorney General Charles Ramson, SC, and attorneys Vidyanand Persaud and Anil Nandlall have been identified by sources in the legal community as being among the leading candidates to fill the vacancy. Other candidates who have been mentioned include another former holder of the post, Bernard DeSantos SC, as well as the Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran, SC.
Ramson, who is currently serving as an Appellate Justice, is believed to be the likely nominee because of his experience and seniority. Though the administration is said to have been leaning towards Persaud, he is reportedly uninterested in the post, while Nandlall’s likely assumption has fuelled an ongoing debate over whether the successor should be a Senior Counsel.
Although there is no legal requirement that the Attorney General be a Senior Counsel, some high-ranking members of the judiciary have told Stabroek News that they expect, in keeping with tradition, a senior member of the profession would be appointed, especially since the office holder is the figurative leader of the bar. As a result, it is likely that the installation of a junior member would be frowned upon.
Guyana Bar Association (GBA) President Teni Housty told Stabroek News that the appointment is important at this juncture, in the context of the ongoing justice sector reform programme. He also noted that since Guyana does not have a Solicitor General, all aspects of government’s legal work would fall to the Attorney General, who also serves as Minister of Legal Affairs. “The load is not an easy one,” Housty said, “I would hope that the person appointed is someone who has the respect and regard of the profession and the judiciary as well as the competence to represent the state in its various litigious processes.”
He also noted that no new Senior Counsel have been appointed since 1996 and there are currently senior members of the bar who meet the objective criteria for the elevated status.
In this regard, he emphasised that the appointee need not be a Senior Counsel but someone who in their own right commands the respect and regard of member of the profession. He said in other parts of the Caribbean, the post has been held by persons who are not Senior Counsel. He cited Dominica, where one of his law school contemporaries, Francine Baron, is now serving as the Attorney General.
