As Guyana moves towards the establishment of a much-needed law school here, a committee has been established by Government to conduct the feasibility study which includes coming up with an architectural design of the facility.
The committee, which will oversee the establishment of the law school here, is chaired by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, S.C., and comprises of representatives from the Finance Ministry, the University of Guyana – Law Programme, and a Chartered Accountant.
Speaking with this publication, Nandlall explained that the committee is collaborating with the Council of Legal Education (CLE), which administers legal professional education in the Caribbean at law schools throughout the region under the CARICOM Treaty.
Back in September 2022, the CLE approved a proposal from Guyana to set up its own law school. The CLE subsequently outlined the requirements that the country needed fulfil including the conduct of a feasibility study, which the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Cabinet agreed to do.
According to the Legal Affairs Minister, the committee is currently working on that comprehensive feasibility study in which they have to illustrate the number of students the school will attract and accommodate as well as the capacity of the Guyana Government to fund the construction of the facility and its initial operation cost.
“We are receiving guidance from the Council in terms of the operation of law schools in the region which includes the estimated cost and number of students – size and capacity. We’re working also on an architecture design of the entire campus, which will include lands and buildings, parking facilities, etc.,” the AG noted.
Already, Government has earmarked approximately seven acres of land to build this law school.
Nandlall went onto note that as part of preparing their report, members of the committee will be travelling to at least two CLE-operated law schools in the Caribbean on an onsite visit to learn about their operations.
“We’re hoping to complete the first draft of this document long before the end of this year for Cabinet’s consideration and also for the Council’s consideration… Council will examine the report and hopefully approve,” the Minister explained.
At present, the CLE-operated laws schools in the Caribbean are the Hugh Wooding Law School, St Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago; Norman Manley Law School, Kingston, Jamaica; and Eugene Dupuch Law School, Nassau, Bahamas.
For nearly three decades, Guyana has been trying to establish a law school within its jurisdiction as law students are forced to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad. However, only the 25 top law students from Guyana are allowed each year into the programme.
Moreover, the high cost of living in Trinidad has deterred many persons from further pursuing a legal career but in response, the Guyana Government now offers limited fully-funded scholarships to Hugh Wooding Law School.
Under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition Administration, attempts were made to establish the Joseph Oscar Fitzclarence Haynes Law School. However, the CLE was not approached about the project initially and when permission was eventually sought, it was denied in late 2017.
AG Nandlall had previously declared that any law school that is established in Guyana will be done under the ambit of the CLE. This, he explained, will also allow the country to capitalise on the overcrowding at the other institutions across the region.
