Lennox Linton calls the Court's ruling on failure to act on Opposition Leader appointment a historic & landmark constitutional victory

Former Leader of the Opposition Lennox Linton said the recent ruling by the court calling the failure of President Sylvanie Burton to appoint a new Opposition Leader following the resignation of Jesma Paul-Victor in 2024 unconstitutional, a historic and landmark constitutional victory against the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
 
In an August 4, 2026, press release from Linton, he said, “This victory belongs to every Dominican who believes that public power must be exercised lawfully; that the Opposition has an indispensable role in our democracy; and that the Constitution must remain superior to political convenience, executive preference and partisan manoeuvring...Today, the Constitution won. Democracy won. Accountability won.”
 
The release explained that the Attorney General attempted to defend the President’s erroneous interpretation of the Constitution and shut down his important public- interest claim to determine whether the President acted illegally in failing to appoint an Opposition Leader. Justice Zainab Jawara-Alami declared that the President acted unconstitutionally when, for 18 months, she refused to recognize & take into account the support of the four Opposition Senators in determining who should be appointed Leader of the Opposition after the resignation of Hon. Jesma Paul-Victor on 20 June 2024.
 
According to Justice Jawara-Alami’s ruling, “The failure of The President to recognize and/or take into account the support of the four Senators in determining who should be appointed Leader of the Opposition after the resignation of Ms. Jesma Paul-Victor was unconstitutional.” Linton was represented by a high-powered legal team from the Trinidad-based Freedom Law Chambers including team leader Anand Ramlogan SC, Jared Jagroo and Vishaal Siewsaran instructed by local Attorney Ronald Charles. The AG was represented by Anthony Astaphan SC, Jason Lawrence, Tameka Burton and Levi Peter.
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