The executive arm of the government has no power to intervene in the work of the judiciary.
However, in response to questions relating to the questionable rulings issued by the courts over the years, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo suggested that the quality of judgements handed down by magistrates and judges should be used to influence their promotions.
Referring to a practice in other parts of the world, he said “sometimes in our system, people believe that it’s how long you’re on the bench, the number of years that you’re on the bench that would serve as the basis for your promotion. So maybe the Judiciary –the (Judicial Service Commission) and the Chancellor and the Chief justice – when they promote people…[can] look at the quality of their judgement.”
Jagdeo defended judges and magistrates who deliver rulings based only on the facts presented in court, noting that “there’s many people in the judiciary who work really hard and…we can all be proud of their work.”
However, as it relates to others, he said there have been many inconsistencies that “lead me to conclude that the cases and decisions made on those cases cannot be supported by the facts before the judicial officer.”
He referred to the many rulings issued during the 2020 elections period which were later appealed at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and reversed. As it is, he directed citizens to turn to the CCJ for help if they are displeased with rulings from the local courts.
“Whilst you had some bright shining stars in the judiciary who stood out on the basis of their integrity and the decisions that they made, had it not been for the CCJ…APNU would have been in office today,” he highlighted.
Since returning to office in 2020, the PPP has embarked on initiatives to improve the court system. Several legislation have been updated, new courts opened, more judges appointed are among measures taken to address delayed trials and related issues.
