In keeping with plans to overhaul and modernise the country’s legislative landscape, the Guyana Government has commenced the consolidation and revision of all the Laws of Guyana.
This, according to a statement from the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs on Saturday, also includes principal and subsidiary legislation in force as at December 31, 2022.
It was noted that this consolidation and revision initiative is a collaborative effort between the Law Revision Commission – a Unit within the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs – and the Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) Project.
The exercise will be executed by the Regional Law Revision Centre Inc (RLRC), an Anguillan company that specialises in consolidation and revision, among other things.
According to the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, SC, this consolidation and revision process, taken together with several other transformative initiatives currently underway, will deliver on a manifesto promise to modernise legislative landscape.
The last consolidation and revision exercise was carried out pre-2012. That exercise produced the 2012 Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana. That process took place nearly 12 years ago, and a plethora of new laws have been promulgated since. Incorporating those laws into principal legislation, and the consolidation of them have become necessary, the missive detailed.
“The time is therefore ripe to produce a new volume of the Laws of Guyana which is current, comprehensive, and accurate. Quite importantly, this process will also see the rectification of several deficiencies which afflicted the last revision exercise,” it added.
This exercise will take place over a 12-month period with work having commenced on February 21, 2022, and is slated to wrap up on February 20, 2023.
In order to facilitate the required work, the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs, through the IMPACT Justice Project, will supply the Regional Law Revision Centre with electronic copies of the last (2012) Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana; the printed edition of the last (2012) Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana; copy of the Consolidated Index of the Laws of Guyana for the revision periods 2009, 2010 and 2021; and The Gazette publications of the Laws of Guyana for the revision period December 31, 2010, to December 31, 2021.
When the current consolidation and revision exercise is completed, the Regional Law Revision Centre will provide Guyana with completed electronic (MS Word and PDF files) files of the Laws of Guyana as of December 31, 2022.
These files will then be used to produce the 2022 Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana.
Access to justice requires access by the people of Guyana to the laws which affect their daily lives. As such, in keeping with current policy, the 2022 Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana will be made available on the website of the Attorney General’s Chambers, and physical copies will be made available to key stakeholders.
