Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen, who is currently on indefinite leave, says it appears that someone wants her to go since all of the vacancies in the judiciary have been filled without her being appointed to one.

This follows the recent appointment of former Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Roxanne George as a High Court judge. Holder-Allen said such promotions are designed to frustrate her so that she would pack up and leave Guyana.

At the swearing in of Justice George, Chancellor of the Judiciary, Desiree Bernard noted that there was no longer any shortage of judges in the High Court as all vacancies were filled.

The Chief Magistrate had over the years questioned the appointment of persons junior to her to the High Court. In a recent letter to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Holder-Allen outlined her longstanding concerns that she has been bypassed for judgeship.

Holder-Allen told Stabroek News that she cannot even supervise a temporary magistrate without being accused of misconduct. This was in reference to the disciplinary charges instituted against her by the JSC which resulted in her proceeding on indefinite leave.

The JSC had detailed several allegations of misconduct against Holder-Allen prior to her proceeding on leave. One of the allegations was a complaint by another magistrate that Holder-Allen interfered with a decision she had made. Holder-Allen had explained that she was merely tendering advice and further said there were no grounds for any charges of misconduct to be laid against her.

The Chief Magistrate later moved to the High Court to quash the appointment of Justice of Appeal Claudette Singh to inquire into complaints made against her. According to her, one of the judges sent her a court date which was December 6 and when she turned up the matter had already been called. Holder-Allen is now unsure of the new court date.