Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan is scheduled to retire on May 15 and as such, has proceeded on pre-retirement leave, the Supreme Court of Judicature confirmed on Thursday.
In the meantime, Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus is performing the duties of Chief Magistrate. It is unclear when McLennan’s leave commenced.
McLennan enlisted in the Guyana Defence Force in September 1985 and in 2007, permission was granted for her to be seconded to the judiciary to expand her legal career.
She served as a Magistrate, presiding in the Georgetown, West Demerara, and East Demerara Magisterial Districts. She was appointed Chief Magistrate in 2015 by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
McLennan successfully graduated from the GDF’s Standard Officers’ Course 17 in 1986.
Her academic education includes: a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of the West Indies (UWI) (Cave Hill Campus, 1994), a Legal Education Certificate (LEC) from the Sir Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad (1996), and a Post Graduate Certificate in Diplomacy from the University of Guyana (UG). She was admitted to the Bar in Guyana in 1996.
After studying, she returned to the GDF where she held several appointments including Trainee Welfare Officer, Admin Officer Ground Forces Group, Personal Assistant to the Force Commander, Commanding Officer Medical Corps and Legal Services Department, Staff Officer 2 within the G1 Branch and Staff Officer to the Chief-of-Staff, before entering the judiciary.
In 2017, McLennan was conferred with the Golden Arrow of Achievement (AA)—the fourth highest award in the Order of Service of Guyana—by former President David Granger.
This award is given to any citizen who has performed an outstanding and specific act of service or achievement of an exceptional nature, or is given for long and dedicated service of a consistently high standard in responsible offices, local government services, social and voluntary services, industry or trade unions, or in any other area of public service.
