Dear Editor,
As predicted President Granger announced a long list of awardees, including three nominees for the Order of Roraima (the second highest national award). Not surprisingly most of the nominees are party supporters. This is understandable, but my concern is why was there no announcement about the elevation of attorneys to senior counsel.
I am aware that the list of new senior counsel is not made with national awards, but I am at a loss as to what the delay is. A year ago Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh invited lawyers to apply for silk. I am not sure if eligible lawyers applied, but I have not read of any appointment. The last batch of senior counsel was appointed nearly two decades ago, and those were Ian Chang, former DPP; Ralph Ramkaran; Charles Ramson; Moen McDoom; Richard Fields and Samuel Brotherson.
My learned Berbician friend, Mortimer Codette, has written about the inordinate delay and suggested that it was time that female lawyers be elevated to the inner bar. I totally agree with him, providing that the elevation is on the basis of merit.
Guyana is the only jurisdiction in the region where lawyers who merit silk are not being elevated on a regular basis. I recall there were only a few appointments in the Forbes Burnham era, including Bhairo Prasad who was elevated to Queen’s Counsel. It was only after Desmond Hoyte took over as head of state there were several appointments including those of Clarence Hughes, George Jackman, Julian Nurse, Doodnauth Singh and former solicitors Eric Clarke and Sase Narain.
In the PPP administration between 1992 to 2015 there were only a handful of elevations.
In Belize there are more than 25 senior counsel from a Bar with less than a hundred members.
Yours faithfully,
Oscar Ramjeet