Krystal Fisher has filed an appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), challenging the October 2, 2025, ruling of the Guyana Court of Appeal in the constitutional case Fisher v. Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The appeal, submitted on October 10, 2025, seeks a ruling on whether Guyana’s electoral laws and administrative practices comply with the Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.
The legal challenge stems from GECOM’s exclusion of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) from ballots in Regions 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9 for the 2025 general and regional elections. The High Court had previously dismissed the case in August, and the Court of Appeal, on October 2, ruled it had no jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Roxane George, stated that the application lacked merit, noting that FGM itself denied voters the opportunity to vote in certain constituencies by not fielding candidates there. The ruling follows the High Court decision by Acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh, which similarly dismissed Fisher’s case.
GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj explained that including FGM on ballots in constituencies where no list was submitted would be unlawful. Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall added that the case should never have reached the courts, noting that the constitutional framework governing elections has been in place since 2000. Both courts rejected claims that excluding FGM from certain ballots violated citizens’ constitutional voting rights.
Following the Court of Appeal’s ruling, FGM has been ordered to pay $1 million each to the Attorney General and GECOM by November 14.
Fisher’s legal team maintains that the prior rulings are jurisdictionally flawed and constitutionally unsound, prompting the appeal to the CCJ. Dr. Vivian M. Williams, Fisher’s attorney, said the case raises critical questions about whether Guyana’s electoral system ensures equal suffrage and proportional representation for all voters.
In addition to the CCJ appeal, Fisher plans to petition the United Nations Human Rights Committee under the First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights once domestic remedies are exhausted. The petition will examine whether Guyana’s electoral system violates Article 25 of the ICCPR, which guarantees the right to participate in public affairs and vote, in conjunction with Articles 2 and 26 of the Covenant.
A CCJ ruling, followed by potential UN Human Rights Committee proceedings, could have regional and international implications for electoral systems in the Caribbean. The CCJ serves as Guyana’s final court of appeal, with binding authority on constitutional interpretation and the application of domestic law.
