The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has set July 19 as the date to hear an appeal filed by two senior Guyana government officials challenging the country’s Court of Appeal’s ruling regarding an opposition petition challenging the results of the controversial March 2, 2020, general election.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, are challenging the decision of the Guyana Court of Appeal that it has jurisdiction to hear the appeal of the dismissal of the petition filed by the opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
Acting Chief Justice, Roxane George-Whilshire had dismissed the petition, after ruling that the APNU presidential candidate, David Granger, had not been served on time.
The elections petition had been filed by Monica Thomas and Brennan Nurse, who were contending that the elections were unlawfully conducted and/or that the results (if lawfully conducted) were affected or might have been affected by unlawful acts or omissions.
They also argued that from those polls it is Granger who should be declared the duly elected President of Guyana.
On December 21, last year, the Guyana Court of Appeal by a 2-1 majority ruling said it had jurisdiction to hear the appeal of the petition.
Chancellor Cummings-Edwards and Justice Dawn Gregory ruled in favor while Justice Rishi Persaud dissented.
Justice Jacob Wit who chaired Tuesday’s case management conference told the lawyers for all the parties, said that appellants will file a joint record of appeal no later than June 7, and file their submissions on or before June 14 with the respondents filing their submissions by June 28.
“There shall be no reply, submissions shall not exceed a total of 12 pages inclusive of footnotes…. (and) the hearing of this appeal will be held on Tuesday, 19thJuly at 10:00 a.m. (local time) by video conferencing…”
Justice Wit said the lawyers for both the appellants and respondents will have 60 minutes to make their oral submissions with the counsels for the other respondents “if they wish to speak, they have in total 45 minutes to be divided among themselves” and there will be a reply by the appellants of 20 minutes in total.
The CCJ also ruled that the third respondent in the matter will be the chief elections officer.
CMC/
