The Judicial Services Commission (JSC) was on Wednesday staffed with two new members, namely Chief Justice (Acting), Justice Roxanne George and President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), Patrick Yarde.
The individuals were sworn in as ex officio members by President David Granger, during a short ceremony at State House, Main Street, Georgetown.
From left: Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings Edwards; Chief Justice, Justice Roxanne George; President David Granger; GPSU President, Patrick Yarde; and Minister of State Joseph Harmon
The JSC is vested with the authority to make appointments and to remove and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in judicial offices.
According to the Head of State, “The Judicial Service Commission is an indispensible element of Guyana’s legal framework. The Commission is the guardian of judicial autonomy. It is the defender of its independence. It is the protector of its integrity and impartiality.”
President Granger explained that the JSC is intended to insulate judicial appointments from political partisanship and personal and other biases. It is a mechanism which ensures that judicial officers will be appointed on the basis of their competence and integrity.
Further, he posited that the JSC is obliged to ensure that its recommendations for appointments of judicial officers flow from a dispassionate and objective process and are based on clearly defined criteria applied in assessing the appropriateness of appointees.
Granger noted that the JSC upholds the independence of the Judiciary and ensures by its diligence that judicial appointees possess the attributes and embody the personal values which make them capable and willing to resist being influenced by improper partisan and personal interests.
“The JSC is the custodian of the values and standards of ethical and legal probity by Judges and judicial officials. The JSC must zealously ensure that the personal conduct of Judges does not bring the judicature into disrepute. It must preserve and protect the system’s integrity,” the President stated.
The other members of the JSC include Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings Edwards (Acting), Justice Prem Persaud and Justice Lennoz Perry.
