Branches of Government
Guyana is governed by three separate, but complementary, branches of Government: the Legislature (National Assembly), the Executive (President, Cabinet and Government Departments) and the Judiciary (Courts). The power to run the country is divided among the three branches to create a system of checks and balances.
The Legislature
Parliament consists of the President and the National Assembly. It is the most important branch of the Government that makes the laws, including the highest law in the country, the Constitution. It can also change and amends laws.
The President is not a member of the National Assembly but has the power to attend and address the Assembly at any time. The President has to assent to a bill passed by the National Assembly before the bill becomes law.
The Executive
The Executive branch governs Guyana. The President is the Head of State, the supreme executive authority and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Guyana. The President appoints the Prime Minister and other Ministers and assigns responsibilities to them. The Cabinet consists of the President, the Prime Minister and other Ministers appointed to it by the President. It aids and advises the President in the general direction and control of the Government.
The Judiciary
The Judicial branch vests its authority in the courts. The courts determine and interpret the law. The courts are independent and impartial and subject only to the Constitution and the law.
The Chancellor of the Judiciary is the chief representative of the judicial authority of Guyana.
The Supreme Court consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court
