Dear Editor,
Attorney KA Juman-Yassin, in his letter captioned “I think Mr Carl Singh is a fit and proper person to be appointed Chancellor” (07.11.29), did Justice Singh proud by coming out with his support for his candidacy for the job. But how do other attorneys or the Guyana Bar Association view Justice Singh’s candidacy?
Unlike attorney Juman-Yassin, I do not know anything remotely important about Justice Singh’s work ethic, court decisions and legal opinions – or even personal demeanor, to pass judgment on his qualifications and eligibility for the job of Chancellor, but I do recall questioning the manner in which he was picked for the job of Chief Justice when there was another Justice Claudette Singh who was perceived as next in line for the job. And it was this manner of being chosen that made it extremely unfortunate that for the past two years Justice Singh got caught up in a highly publicized political fight between the PPP and the PNC over the naming of both a Chancellor and Chief Justice, making him look like a political football and making a mockery of the judiciary.
With Justice Claudette Singh having resigned last month and taken up some sort of `desk job’ in the Attorney General’s chambers, the way was finally cleared for Justice Ian Chang to be named the new Chief Justice and for Chief Justice/acting Chanc-ellor Carl Singh to be named Chancellor. But this entire process will always be remembered as one tainted by partisan politics that sent a signal to the public that the administration of justice in Guyana could be viewed along political lines.
I want to know from attorney Juman-Yassin whether he doesn’t think that Justice Claudette Singh was a fit and proper person, like Justice Carl Singh, for the job of either Chief Justice or Chancellor?
I also want to know why candidates for these esteemed positions are not interviewed via radio and television by a parliamentary committee on the judiciary so the people, through their elected representatives in the legislative branch of government, could get a better picture of who really are these people who would be administering justice in the judicial branch of government.
If President Bharrat Jagdeo and PNC Leader Robert Corbin (I refuse to cite him any longer as Opposition Leader because there is also another Opposition Leader in the person of Raphael Trotman of the AFC) ever reach agreement on Chanc-ellor and Chief Justice, I can only hope the backlog of cases in the criminal justice system are immediately dealt with and steps taken to review laws to keep the jails from being overcrowded by petty criminals and suspects.
Yours faithfully,
Emile Mervin
