The Committee of Appointments of Parliament has nominated Justice (r’td) Beasraj Singh Roy to sit as a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
According to the first report of the Committee laid in the National Assembly yesterday Roy was selected following a process of consultation with the bodies that represent Attorneys at law in Guyana.
The report details that discussions on the nomination process began on January 13 when it was noted that during the 11th parliament nominations were received from two of the three organizations representing legal professionals and that one of the two nominees had indicated that they were in active practice.
The other nominee Roy had been recommended by the Bar Association of Guyana. The association along with the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers and the Legal Practitioners Committee (LPC) were invited to make nominations in keeping with the provisions of Article 198 of the Constitution.
According to the Article the members of the Judicial Service Commission shall be the Chancellor, who shall be Chairman; the Chief Justice; the Chairman of the Public Service Commission; and “appointed members” including one from among persons who hold or have held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court acting after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition; and not less than one and not more than two from among persons who are not attorneys-at-law in active practice, after the National Assembly has meaningfully consulted such bodies as appear to it to represent attorneys- at-law in Guyana and signified its choice of members to the President.
The letters dated January 20 directed that the submission of a nominee be accompanied with biographical information.
On February 2, the LPC responded to the Committee indicating that it did not consider itself eligible to participate in the nomination process. Recognizing its error the Committee wrote to the Berbice Bar Association of Legal Practitioners on February 8.
The Bar Association duly nominated Roy as well as Justice (ret’d) Charles Ramson. The Association of Women lawyers nominated Justice (ret’d) Claudette LaBennett and Justice (ret’d) Denis Hanomansingh while the Berbice Association also nominated Roy.
The Committee members nominated and seconded the nomination of Roy.
The JSC has not been re-appointed since its expiration on September 30th, 2017.
