Read the statement below from the Supreme Court of Judicature:
The Hon. Chancellor (ag) Justice Roxane George has directed that the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana embark on a backlog reduction exercise to clear over 2000 appeals and applications that were filed between 1 Jan 1996 and 31 December 2024.
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.
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 10, 12 and 13 February 2026 at 9.30 am on each day. The applications for leave to appeal and for extensions of time to appeal are those filed between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2025. Our records indicate that there are no pending applications filed prior to 2021. 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. The Court of Appeal emphasises 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. 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.
