Justice Claudette Singh is new GECOM Chair

─ Justice Singh satisfies the criteria for the appointment – Pres. Granger

DPI, Guyana, Friday July 26, 2019

Justice Claudette Singh SC, CCH has been selected as the new Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM), succeeding Retired Justice James Patterson, who stepped down from the position last month.

Justice Singh was selected from the list of nominees presented to His Excellency, President David Granger, by Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Bharrat Jagdeo, during what has been termed the ‘hammering out’ process, instructed by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) during its final consequential ruling.

According to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, the Head of State this afternoon, met the leader of the opposition and continued a series of meetings aimed at selecting a list of nominees.

The release said the president received and reviewed the list of nominees from the opposition leader. In a bid to bring the selection process to a speedy and favourable conclusion, the process of selection by the president was done swiftly. This is aimed at ensuring that the Elections Commission could resume its normal functions and conduct General and Regional Elections in the shortest possible time.

The correspondence stated that Justice Singh satisfied the criteria for the appointment.

The new GECOM Chair has over 40 years of experience in the legal field. She is among five Guyanese women to have been appointed Senior Counsel.

She has served as the Deputy Solicitor General, as a Puisne Judge and a Justice of Appeal.

During her tenure at the Chamber of the Attorney General, the legal luminary spearheaded the Modernisation of the Justice Reform Project.

Justice Singh was called to the Bar in London in 1973 and admitted to the Bar in Guyana in 1976.