The Court of Appeal has dismissed the case filed by the Forward Movement of Guyana (FMG) against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the Attorney General, ordering the applicant, Crystal Fisher, to pay $4 million in costs.
The matter, filed on the eve of the September 1 elections, challenged GECOM’s exclusion of FMG from the ballot in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). Fisher, who resides in that region, argued that she was unable to vote for the FMG. However, the court found that the party itself had opted not to contest that region, making the claim baseless.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, described the case as “the most asinine form of logic” he has encountered, noting that FMG was essentially blaming GECOM for a decision it made on its own. The High Court dismissed the matter, ordering Fisher to pay $1 million each to the Attorney General and GECOM. Despite this, FMG appealed the decision, only for the Court of Appeal to uphold the High Court’s ruling and add an additional $1 million in costs to each respondent.
In total, Fisher is now required to pay $4 million by the end of November. The Attorney General has indicated that his chambers will pursue the recovery of those costs.
Nandlall welcomed the court’s firm stance, saying it sends an important message against the abuse of the judicial process. He noted that the filing of frivolous and politically motivated cases wastes valuable court time and public resources.
“I’ve been advocating for a regime of higher costs for years,” he said. “It’s time that persons who bring spurious cases face the consequences.”
The Forward Movement of Guyana, one of several small parties formed ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections, has since expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. However, the Attorney General maintains that both the High Court and the Appeal Court handled the matter justly and in accordance with the law.
