Saying that it is still awaiting “a position” from the Ministry of the Presidency on the alleged recall of Senior Counsel (SC) status on attorney Timothy Jonas, the Alliance for Change (AFC) is refraining from commenting on the president’s right to deviate from the recommendations made by the judiciary.
“What I can say to you is that that question should be pronounced upon by the Ministry of the Presidency and we await a position from the Ministry of the Presidency,” the party’s General Secretary Marlon Williams said when asked if the party has engaged the president on the matter and if it agrees with the president making his own appointments.
During a press conference last month, the AFC had called on government to explain the situation.
“On behalf of our party…we do have to hear from the other side. We only heard what was reported in the media. We would not want to be associated with any sort of victimisation of anyone because of their political belief. That is something we hold very dear to us and it is important,” AFC Executive Dominic Gaskin told a January 23rd press conference.
“We would of course like to get the whole story behind it but it is not the type of actions that we support,” he added.
In its January 23rd edition, the Guyana Chronicle published the comments of Assistant Director of Public Information and Press Services within the Ministry of the Presidency, Ariana Gordon, who informed that while Jonas was on the list of those recommended, the title was never conferred on him.
It was attorney Sanjeev Datadin who made the situation public.
Saying that the administration had desecrated the process used to select Senior Counsel, he expressed concern at the decision to recall the conferral of ‘silk’ on Jonas following his involvement in the establishment of a new political party, A New and United Guyana (ANUG).
“…In the last list, there was a very, very alarming thing where Timothy Jonas was apparently afforded the honour… when it was announced that he was involved in the new party…he was promptly informed that as fast as he was robed, he was disrobed,” Datadin had told the Sunday Stabroek.
Though Datadin did not have all the details, this newspaper subsequently learnt from persons familiar with the issue that sometime in November or early December of last year, Jonas was informed by Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards that he received the approval of the judges to be appointed SC and that she would be communicating that to the Executive.
On Christmas Eve, Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of the Presidency Vic Persaud contacted Jonas at his home to inform him that upon the judges’ recommendation, he was being appointed SC and that in the coming days he would receive his documentation and invitation to the ceremony.
The following day, Stabroek News published a story about the formation of ANUG. Five days later, Persaud informed Jonas that the Executive had reconsidered the decision.
A few days later, the Ministry of the Presidency announced five new SC. Jonas’ name was not included. The new SC are Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack and attorneys Stephen Fraser, Carole James-Boston, Robert Ramcharran and Rajendra Poonai.
AFC chairman Khemraj Ramjattan had said that if Jonas’ allegations are true, the situation was unfortunate and the party would not support such a move.
“The impression I got is that indeed is that the senior members of the judiciary did nominate him and indeed he was communicated that he would get it but I don’t know. It is an important aspect in honouring lawyers in the profession and let me just say at this stage that it is unfortunate,” he said.
Attorney General Basil Williams SC has said that the selection of Senior Counsel is at the discretion of the president, who can alter the list of candidates recommended to him by the Chancellor of the Judiciary.
He has insisted too that Jonas did not meet the requirements and will have to gain a few more years of legal experience before he can be considered. This position was later rebuffed by former AG Anil Nandlall and SC Bernard De Santos.
