“I have not changed my view on Justice Benjamin” – Pres. Granger
DPI, Guyana, Friday, September 7, 2018
President David Granger reiterated today, that he has not changed his mind about Guyanese-born Justice Kenneth Benjamin, as his preference for the post of Chancellor of the Judiciary here in Guyana.
Responding to criticisms by the Bar Association about Justice Benjamin having a backlog of cases, the Head of State said, “I don’t know if there is any judiciary in the Commonwealth Caribbean that does not have a backlog of cases. I don’t think the allegation of the Bar Association is substantial enough for me to change my opinion.”
Chief Justice of Belize, Justice Kenneth Benjamin.
According to President Granger, all persons that were interested in the post had applied and were interviewed by an expert panel. The president said he received advice from that panel and he is prepared to stand by the advice given.
“I have not changed my view on Justice Benjamin, he is very competent. He is Guyanese-born and I think that he is working towards that backlog.”
According to his Curriculum Vitae, Justice Benjamin is an experienced judicial officer and attorney-at-law with highly developed research skills. Justice Benjamin also has a profound knowledge of the laws of the Commonwealth Caribbean states and territories. He was admitted to practice law 39 years ago and has served as a Judicial Officer at the Magisterial, High Court and Appellate levels in Antigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Belize for 24 years.
Lectures and training initiatives for judicial officers and court personnel in the Eastern Caribbean, Barbados and Belize have been facilitated by Justice Benjamin. He has functioned as a supervisor of implementation of case-management and delay-reduction processes in the criminal justice system in Saint Lucia, participated in committees for rule-making and civil-procedure review in the Eastern Caribbean. Benjamin also served as Chair of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and General Legal Council of Belize, introduced and executed criminal justice reforms and alternative dispute resolution initiatives to the justice system in Belize and piloted child-friendly family courts.
By: Alexis Rodney.
Image: Department of Public Information.