New push to clear 2000-case backlog dating back to 1996 at Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana will embark on a major backlog reduction exercise to clear over 2000 appeals and applications that were filed between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2024.

According to a statement from the Supreme Court of Judicature on Friday, this push to clear the backlog followed instructions given by Chancellor of the Judiciary (acting) Justice Roxane George.

“The Court acknowledges the understandable concern of litigants and attorneys-at-law awaiting the determination of long-standing matters and assures all stakeholders that this exercise reflects a firm commitment to the timely, fair and transparent administration of justice,” the missive detailed.

To facilitate this initiative, the Court of Appeal has been constituted into three panels, each assigned 70 cases, representing a total of 210 cases in the first tranche.

Each panel’s allocation comprises 21 civil appeals, 20 criminal appeals and 29 applications for leave to appeal and for extensions of time to appeal. Hearings in these matters will commence with the civil appeals on February 10, 12 and 13, 2026, at 09:30h on each day.

The applications for leave to appeal and for extensions of time to appeal are those filed between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2025. Court records indicate that there are no pending applications filed prior to 2021. Additionally, it was noted that applications filed in 2026 will be assigned on a continual basis so that they can be heard in the most timely manner possible.

To ensure there is no longer a large backlog of cases, the appeal panels will also be assigned more recently filed appeals. Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal has emphasised in its missive that this exercise will be court-driven, guided by robust case management principles, and that no case will be returned to the court registry without disposition.

“Therefore, all attorneys-at-law and litigants are expected to be fully prepared to assist the panels so that cases can be concluded,” the statement added. Notices of hearing will be sent to the recorded addresses of litigants and attorneys-at-law and will be published in the newspapers and on the court’s website under “Hearing Lists” and on the official Facebook page.

Only recently, the President of the Guyana Bar Association, Kamal Ramkarran, bemoaned the growing backlog of cases at the Court of Appeal, urging the necessary interventions be made to address the situation. He had warned that the delays are not merely procedural but amount to a denial of justice, with consequences that extend well beyond individual litigants. The appointment of additional Justices of Appeal in 2025 has since created the conditions for backlog reduction. These appointments came on the heels of recent updates to the Court of Appeal Act to increase the complement of judges sitting in that court from nine to 11. Consequently, Justices Jo-Ann Barlow, Navindra Singh, Nareshwar Harnanan, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and Joycelin Kyte-Thomas were sworn in as appellate judges before President Dr Irfaan Ali in May 2025.

Also named to be sworn in as Justices of Appeal were Justice Damone Younge and Senior Counsel Rafiq Turhan Khan. In December 2025, Khan took his Oath of Office as an appellate judge before the Head of State. During that swearing-in ceremony, President Ali highlighted the critical role of the Court of Appeal within Guyana’s judicial system, describing it as a central safeguard in the administration of justice.

The Court, he noted, serves as an essential intermediary between the High Court and Guyana’s apex court, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), ensuring consistency, accountability and the correction of judicial errors. “The right of appeal must remain a fundamental pillar of due process,” President Ali stated, emphasising that the appellate system protects against arbitrary decision-making and reinforces public confidence in the rule of law.