Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams yesterday defended the appointment of attorney Rosalie Robertson as Registrar of Lands saying that government does not believe the appointment is illegal as argued by several lawyers including Guyana Bar Association (GBA) head Christopher Ram.
“We don’t share that view,” he told Stabroek News yesterday referring to the GBA’s view on the matter. “Lawyers must read the section, they will see that the section they are referring to is a sunset clause. When they read it they will see the words “for the time being.” After you appoint the registrar for the land registry that is the end of the provision so you don’t need to repeal anything; it’s a sunset clause,” he insisted.
He subsequently told the National Assembly as he made his contribution to the 2015 Budget debate that in addition to swearing in the land registry registrar, the government will shortly be appointing a registrar of the commercial court. These two offices will be housed in the former NBS building on Avenue of the Republic.
In a letter published in yesterday’s Stabroek News, attorney Leon Rockcliffe identified the new registrar of lands as attorney Rosalie Robertson. He called on Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Williams to speak on what he termed “the illegal appointment of the Registrar of Lands.”
Rockcliffe reiterated claims previously raised by Ram that any appointment of an individual as Registrar of Lands other than the Registrar or Deputy Registrar of Deeds is illegal.
The lawyers had pointed to Section 7 (1) of the Land Registry Act Cap 5:02 which provides as follows: “There shall be a Registrar of Lands and a Deputy Registrar of Lands who shall be the persons for the time being holding the Offices of
