Ministry of Legal Affairs

New Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel appointed - The Chronicle Newspaper - 1st July, 2018

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Published: 05 July 2018

Newly appointed Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel Joann Bond

THE Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs have appointed Joann Bond, Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel. Bond will give added support to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel Charles Fung-a-Fat.

The Chambers made the announcement on Saturday, explaining that Bond’s promotion to Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel comes approximately eight years after she joined the Drafting Division in 2010.
In the past, she functioned as Parliamentary Counsel, Senior Parliamentary Counsel and Principal Parliamentary Counsel (ag).

In 2014, Ms. Bond was awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarship to pursue studies in London, United Kingdom and is the holder of an LLM in Advanced Legislative Studies (with distinction) from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS), University of London. She is also a graduate of the Hugh Wooding Law School where she obtained her Legal Education Certificate (LEC) in 2009, the University of Guyana where she received her Bachelors of Law Degree (LLB) (credit) in 2007 and Presidents College.

She is also proficient in the area of law revision having been trained by the Regional Law Revision Centre Inc. in Anguilla. Bond also completed an internship with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, Netherlands.

In addition to her main duties of drafting primary and subsidiary legislation of varying degrees of complexity, she also gives technical support to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Committee and the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.

Bond is a trained Caribbean Action Task Force (CFATF) Legal Assessor and is currently engaged in the Mutual Evaluation Process of the Turks and Caicos Islands. She is also the Chairperson of the Bid Protest Committee and a member of the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel.

AG participates in FATF working group plenary - The Chronicle Newspaper - 29th June, 2018

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Published: 04 July 2018

Attorney General Basil Williams attending the FATF plenary in France

ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Basil Williams, S.C., M.P. is currently participating in the Plenary and Working Group meetings for the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-XXIX which is being held at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris, France from June 24-29, 2018.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body which was established in 1989. The FATF sets standards to counter money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. The established standards are the FATF 40 Recommendations, which the FATF and FATF Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs) of which the CFATF the first one created in the Global Network; used to monitor their members level of compliance and implementation of measures against money laundering, counter terrorist financing and proliferation financing. The FATF’s decision making body is the Plenary, which meets three times per year (February, June and October).

In a release the AG chambers said the plenary reviews through discussions on mutual evaluation reports and other projects covering issues that are discussed in each of the technical Working Groups three days prior to the plenary (June 24-26, 2018).

The plenary meeting is intended to have all relevant parties present to discuss AML/CFT/PF issues so that progress is made in a consistent manner by FATF and FSRBs. The CFATF as an FSRB is therefore fully involved like other FSRBs in the work that is discussed during plenary. As the Chairman of CFATF, it is therefore important to remain visible and viable in the discussions that take place at the FATF Plenary level. There is an expectation that the issues, their outcomes and requisite follow-thorough in relevant instances will be carried forward by the Chair of each FSRB and their Secretariats.

The June 2018 plenary meeting is currently being held from Wednesday 27 to Friday 29, June 2018. Several topics will be covered that are of importance to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) Region. These include:-the Counter Terrorist Financing Operational Plan; revisions to the Methodology and FinTech and RegTech issues.

Big blow to racism - The Chronicle Newspaper - 27th June, 2018

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Published: 27 June 2018

Attorney General and members of his legal team during a recent court hearing in Guyana (Adrian Narine photo)

ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, SC, has described as a “great victory” for Guyanese and also a big blow to racism here, the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) ruling on Tuesday upholding the constitutional restriction of a presidential two-term limit.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle while enroute to Paris, France, for a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary meeting, Williams said that the 6-1 majority decision handed down by the full bench of the court could be used to ensure that future elections in Guyana are based on issues and not the colour of people’s skin or the texture of their hair. “I believe this is a serious blow to racism in Guyana.”

On Tuesday, the CCJ by a majority ruled that the amendment to the presidential term limit is constitutional, thereby overturning the decisions of the High Court and Court of Appeal earlier on the matter. The majority decision comprised separate judgments of CCJ President Sir Dennis Byron, Justice Adrian Saunders and Justice Jacob Wit, while a detailed dissent was delivered by Justice Winston Anderson.

Cedric Richardson just before the May 2015 elections had challenged the state on the constitutionality of an amendment to Article 90 of the constitution which added the further qualifications that a candidate for President of the Republic must be a Guyanese by birth or parentage, residing in Guyana on the date of nomination for election, continuously resident in the country for a period of seven years before nomination date and must not have served as President for two terms. Richardson, who was represented by Trinidadian attorney Douglas Mendes, in his arguments said that his right to choose whomsoever he wanted to be President, impliedly conferred by Articles 1 and 9, had been diluted by the alterations to Article 90 as it disqualified former President Bharrat Jagdeo who had previously served two terms as President.

As such, he applied for orders that would invalidate the amendment to the constitution on the ground that the manner and form for altering Articles 1 and 9 had not been followed. To amend these articles, the amendment had to be supported by a majority of voters in a referendum.

Then High Court Judge, Ian Chang (Ag), ruled in favour of Richardson and his judgment was affirmed by a majority of the Court of Appeal. Both courts held that the amendment, by excluding many persons as contenders for the presidency, diluted the right of the people to elect a President of their choice inherent in Articles 1 and 9 and as such a referendum was needed to make such an amendment.

Williams in appealing the Court of Appeal decision had told the full bench of the CCJ that two former top judicial officers here had erred in applying the Basic Structure Doctrine in the ‘third term case,’ even as he asserted that the term-limit act is valid. He had argued that amendments made to Article 90 are not unconstitutional.

The attorney general told the CCJ that the High Court and Court of Appeal of Guyana had applied the Basic Structure Doctrine in the case. He pointed out that the doctrine does not apply to Guyana and any other CARICOM country that has a constitution that mirrors the Westminster model. The Basic Structure Doctrine is an Indian judicial principle that the constitution has certain basic features that cannot be altered or destroyed through amendments by the Parliament. The doctrine applies only to constitutional amendments.

Confidence in CCJ 
The AG said he has always placed confidence in Guyana’s final court of appeal as it is equipped with eminent judges. “That decision [CCJ decision] of course was a decision which upheld the intentions of the Guyanese people which would have been reflected in that amendment to introduce term limits in the interest of the Guyanese people,” said Williams. The attorney general who had presented arguments before the Trinidad and Tobago-based court in March, told this publication that since the introduction of the presidential term limits, there have been four national elections and one local government election, none of which saw post-election violence.

“That says a lot and in addition, we have had novel changes in governance a majority parliament with a minority government and now a one-seat difference. These changes have occurred. It is a victory for the Guyanese people,” said Williams.

Moreover, the AG believes that the decision justifies Guyana’s clamour in the past to have a final court of appeal that was other than the court of appeal of Guyana. “We welcome the CCJ and so we have to try to support the CCJ, give it sustenance,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

The CCJ’s ruling is also seen as a reprimand to the decisions of the High Court and Court of Appeal here that had upheld that amendment to the constitution with respect to the term limit infringes on the electorate’s right to freely choose a candidate to be elected president. “I think it is a justification because you had two decisions one at the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal and the ability to pursue justice and go to the final court and be successful speaks volumes. Every Guyanese should feel that justice was done for them,” Williams stated.

Fed up of racism 
The AG said citizens are fed up of racism and racial elections in Guyana, while accusing the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) headed by former President Bharrat Jagdeo of trying to divide the country along racial lines. “They have practised the politics of division.

Jagdeo is doing the same thing because he felt he would be able to get back into power with the race card, notwithstanding what happened in 2011 and 2015 and so everything he was seeing race in and claiming race,” declared Williams. He reminded too that it was Jagdeo who had signed into law the presidential term limits legislation.

“It is a good victory for the Guyanese people and we could use this victory and ensure that future elections in Guyana are based on issues and not the colour of people’s skin or the texture of their hair. I believe this is a serious blow to racism in Guyana.”

Court not to enquire 
During the court hearing, Williams had argued that “where legislation is passed in accordance with prescription– in terms of manner and form– the court ought not to enquire as to the propriety; the substance of that legislation.” Citing several authorities, Williams noted too that the Basic Structure Doctrine was applied in both the High Court and Court of Appeal. He said the learned chief justice (as he then was) Ian Chang and chancellor (as he then was) Carl Singh, erred when they enquired as to whether the restriction of the third term was constitutional.

The Guyanese AG rejected outright the use of the concept of Basic Structure Doctrine, noting that it does not apply to the Guyana constitution and noted that the learned chief justice and chancellor had both overstepped their boundaries. “The Act was validly passed. The only question is whether it conforms to the constrictions on Article 164 (2) (6) of the Constitution. Our submission is that it did,” he posited.

Williams then provided the court with the background to the amendments made to the constitution in 2000. He explained that the amendments were passed unanimously, as both the government at that time and the opposition agreed after consultations with civil society and other stakeholders. “The Act was assented to by the then President Bharrat Jagdeo,” asserted Williams, who noted that the amendment to Article 90 of the constitution only allows a person to be president twice.

Williams had also told the court that the “legislation came out of post-election trauma and chaos,” noting that it was by virtue of the Herdmanston Accord that there was constitutional reform resulting in the effected amendment. The Herdmanston Accord originated from CARICOM’s intervention via mediation here to ensure that the country returned to a state of peace and normalcy.

It was a result of that intervention that the pact was signed. The accord was not originally filed by the AG and his team, but leave was granted for the AG to enter into an agreement with Counsel for Richardson, Douglas Mendes, SC, to have that document submitted as it may prove vital to the judges’ understanding of what had occurred in 1997.

Well-reasoned 
Back home, attorneys who worked along with Williams in the case hailed the ruling as “well-reasoned and sound.” Speaking with reporters at the Court of Appeal here, Queen’s Counsel Ralph Thorne who along with his countryman Hal Gollop, Solicitor-General Kim Kyte-Thomas and Uteika John made it clear that comfort should not be taken in the dissenting judgment in favour of Cedric Richardson, the man who questioned the constitutionality of the amendments made to the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2000.

“I won’t want the opposition to take any comfort in the dissenting decision, because implied in that dissent is a criticism of an amendment that was done by the opposition when it was in government in the first place. So there is no comfort to be taken there; as I understand it, when that amendment was made Mr Jagdeo was in government and he made the amendment, so that dissenting judgment criticised what he did then,” Thorne said.

He said the ruling is important as a law which was passed by a Parliament unanimously and that was overturned in the lower courts was upheld at the highest court in the land. “It was absolutely important that a law upon which this country was united, a law upon which the assembly was united should not be struck down purely for the purpose of individual ambitions. It is important that the CCJ has dealt with it.

It is the final stage in the appeal and this country will remain at peace,” the Barbadian attorney told reporters.
Similarly, Gollop, QC, noted that the dissenting view by Justice Winston Anderson does not capture the fact that there is already exists a system of proportional representation. Like her colleagues, the solicitor-general said her team has been vindicated.

“We have been very strong in our arguments, in the High Court, Court of Appeal and we are very happy that a well-reasoned and sound decision of the CCJ has basically upheld what we have been saying for all these years.”

Legal Affairs Ministry appoints three senior officers - The Chronicle Newspaper - 10th June, 2018

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Published: 11 June 2018

THE Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs has appointed three senior officers to hold the posts of Deputy Solicitor General, Assistant Solicitor General and State Solicitor, Public Trustee/ Official Receiver.

In a statement to the media Saturday, the ministry announced the appointment of Deborah Diane Kumar as Deputy Solicitor General; Beverley Natasha Maison Bishop-Cheddie as Assistant Solicitor General; and Jennifer Ayana McCalman as State Solicitor, Public Trustee/ Official Receiver.

According to the ministry, the appointment of the three women represents a further meaningful step in its output of legal calibre.
The ministry’s objective is “to ensure value is added and to select candidates who are capable of getting the job done, because employee performance is critical to overall success in the public affairs”, the statement said.

Kumar, a Queen’s College graduate of 1995, was admitted to the local bar in October 2001 and three years later, she was admitted to the Trinidad Bar.
According to the minister, the newly-appointed Deputy Solicitor General has a wealth of knowledge and experience within the practice for almost 18 years.

“Ms. Deborah Kumar has been in private practice which she embraces, as it was the stepping stone for the blossom of her career. She has always had a passion for public service and now assume and dedicates her time at the Ministry of Legal Affairs,” the statement added.

Kumar obtained her Bachelor of Laws Degree in 1999 from the University of Guyana, after which she pursued and obtained the Law Education Certificate at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad, September 7, 2001.

Similarly, Beverley Natasha Maison Bishop-Cheddie, another graduate of Queen’s College, has 11 years experience and knowledge in the legal profession.

She pursued a first degree in Social Work where she shared best graduating student in 1999. Thereafter, she graduated with a degree in law at the University of Guyana in 2004.
Bishop-Cheddie immediately thereafter enrolled into the Hugh Wooding Law School which she successfully completed in 2006. She was employed as a Judicial Research Assistant for the Trinidad & Tobago Judiciary from 2006-2010; she served at the magistracy, high court and appellate level.

Upon return to Guyana, she engaged in private practice as Advocate Attorney and served as a temporary magistrate. She also worked as a probation officer for one year from 2000 to 2001 at the then Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security.

Like Kumar and Bishop-Cheddie, Jennifer Ayana McCalman graduated from the University of Guyana in 2003 and holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree with distinction. She is the recipient of the University of Guyana Pro-Chancellor’s Medal, graduating as the Best Law Student within the Faculty of Law in 2003.

In 2005, she graduated with a Legal Education Certificate (LEC) with Honours from the Hugh Wooding Law School. McCalman was admitted to practice law here on October 20, 2005. She is also admitted to practice as a solicitor and barrister within the St. Christopher and Nevis Circuit of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.

McCalman’s work and legal experience includes serving as State Counsel in the Advice & Litigation Department of the Attorney General’s Chambers within the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Guyana, where she worked after her admission to the Guyana Bar in 2005.
She then went into private practice and has been providing service to individual clients, corporations and non-governmental organisations for the past 13 years.

In January 2013, McCalman became a Christian Missionary in Johannesburg, South Africa. She served the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA), One Church in Five Countries –Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, as the Communications and Justice Advocacy Officer.

She completed her missionary service in August 2014 and returned to Guyana with a global experience ready to serve her country. McCalman now serves as the State Solicitor, Public Trustee/Official Receiver within the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs.

The Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs said McCalmon brings a wide array of skills, knowledge and experience to the public service. She has been diligently serving in the post of State Solicitor, Public Trustee/Official Receiver since September, 2017.

“The ministry has appointed passion-driven individuals who will support the mission of the ministry to enhance the legal services provided to public agencies and the vision for an effective public service that works in the best interest of the government and the society at large,” the statement concluded.

AG, team consult on alternatives to incarceration - The Chronicle Newspaper - 10th June, 2018

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Published: 11 June 2018

ATTORNEY-General Basil Williams and team met with consultant, Dr Dianne Williams, who is contracted under the Support for the Criminal Justice System Programme (SCJS) to discuss alternatives to incarceration.

The issues emanated from the discussions were: the design and implementation of a restorative justice programme under the Ministry of Legal Affairs, to solve minor offences or disputes through alternatives to trial; the design of proper rules of procedure; the proposal of appropriate standards of performance; a guide to the type of offences that should be the subject of restorative justice processes; the design and implementation of a training programme for restorative justice officers which includes court staff, lawyers, prosecutors, the media, Ministry of Legal Affairs officials, among others.

Essentially, the consultation further tackled the strengthening of the probation service, coupled with appropriate training; reviewed protocols and design risk assessment tools to ensure that released inmates are appropriately tracked; trained probation officers in the use of discretion to appropriately respond to each individual case; and provided the probation service with systems and equipment to generate and maintain adequate information concerning released offenders.

Restorative justice focuses on the needs of those affected by crime. This process allows persons to meet voluntarily with the others involved and gives them the chance to deal with the harm caused and helps them to heal.
In addition, discussions surrounded the importance of probation service as part of the criminal justice system. Probation service delivers community sentences which are tough, challenging offenders to change their offending lifestyles.

The SCJS programme seeks to strengthen the Probation and Social Service Department so it can perform adequate follow-up of treatments delivered in and after prison, in order to better tend to the rehabilitative needs of those who present a lesser risk of reoffending.