Guyana’s judiciary lost more than 100 employees in 2025, largely to the private sector, government ministries, public sector agencies and emigration, exposing a deepening human resources crisis that is now threatening the efficient functioning of the courts.The disclosure was made by Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, during the opening of the Law Year 2026 on Tuesday, where she warned that the system is struggling to attract and retain staff amid uncompetitive pay structures and a fragmented hiring framework.“The Supreme Court has been haemorrhaging in terms of staffing,” the Acting Chancellor said, describing the losses as severe and ongoing. She noted that the departures have already had a direct impact on court operations, compounding delays and administrative backlogs at multiple levels of the justice system.According to Justice George-Wiltshire, the judiciary is facing “great difficulty” in recruiting qualified personnel to ensure courts function efficiently, even as caseloads remain high and the system undergoes major digital and institutional reforms.A central problem, she explained, is a bifurcated employment system that has created sharp disparities in pay, conditions and morale among court staff. Some employees are appointed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and are paid on significantly higher salary scales, while others are hired through the Public Service Commission and the Ministry of Public Service on lower scales.“This has caused a bifurcated system of employment with attendant challenges, especially regarding morale,” the Acting Chancellor said, signalling that the imbalance is fuelling resignations and undermining staff cohesion across the courts.She argued that the judiciary requires urgent structural reform in how court staff are appointed, paid and managed. As part of this push, the judiciary is seeking government support to vest responsibility for the appointment of all court staff in the Judicial Service Commission. Such a move, she acknowledged, would likely require constitutional and/or legislative amendments to clearly define the JSC’s appointment powers and any delegation arrangements.In an effort to diagnose and address the staffing crisis, a comprehensive administrative human resources audit is currently underway, funded through a grant from Global Affairs Canada. The audit will assess staffing levels, qualifications, functional needs and compensation across the court system.Justice George-Wiltshire said the audit is expected to lead to a revised organisational structure, updated job classifications and a new remuneration framework aligned with the judiciary’s Strategic Plan 2024–2031, which places heavy emphasis on investment in human resources.The staffing crisis is unfolding at a time when court offices—particularly those supporting the magistracy—are already under strain. Magistrates’ courts handle approximately 90 per cent of the country’s criminal caseload, alongside thousands of civil matters, yet inadequate administrative staffing continues to hinder efficient case management, record preparation and inquest processing.While the judiciary has made significant investments in physical infrastructure and digital systems, the Acting Chancellor made it clear that technology alone cannot compensate for the loss of experienced personnel.“The next phase of transformation requires implementation of a system whereby performance is measured, improvement is continuous and public trust is deepened,” she said, stressing that this is impossible without a stable, properly resourced workforce.Justice George-Wiltshire also linked staff retention to broader accountability and efficiency goals, noting that accurate data collection, performance measurement and digital court operations all depend on trained and motivated personnel.As the judiciary pushes ahead with modernisation—including e-filing, electronic case management and data-driven administration—the Acting Chancellor warned that failure to resolve pay inequities and staffing shortages could stall progress and erode public confidence in the justice system.The post Judiciary haemorrhaged over 100 staff in 2025 as pay disparity cripples retention – Acting Chancellor appeared first on News Room Guyana.