Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud will next Wednesday hear the applications made by Attorney General Basil Williams SC, to stay the effects of two of Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire’s judgments on the December 21st no-confidence vote against government and to keep the president, the Cabinet and government in place until the appeals he has filed are heard and determined.
Stabroek News was told earlier today that the matter will be called at 2 pm at the Court of Appeal located in Kingston.
Williams has applied to the court to grant the orders pending the appeal of the decision in the action he brought against Speaker Dr. Barton Scotland and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and the decision in the action initiated by chartered accountant Christopher Ram. One of his arguments is that without a Cabinet, no funding can be made available to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the holding of elections. Identical reasons were also listed in the affidavits in support by State Counsel Raeanna Clarke.
In each case, the court is being asked to grant an order for an interim stay of the effect of the judgment and order(s) of Justice George-Wiltshire until the hearing and determination of the Summons filed; an order for a stay of the effect of the judgment and order(s) until the hearing and determination of the appeal filed, a conservatory order, preserving the status quo ante that the President, Cabinet and all Ministers of the Government remain in office until the hearing and determination of the appeal; and such further or other order as the Court may deem just.
Meanwhile, with respect to the two appeals Williams filed, the attorneys in those matters met at the Court of Appeal today with the court’s staff to deal with the filing and preparation of records. All parties agreed to submit all documents and prepare the records of appeal within seven days as opposed to the standard six weeks, in an effort to have the matter concluded as quickly as possible.
