Guyana completes first comprehensive Justice Sector Reform

By Kurt Campbell

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Guyana has completed its first justice sector reform under the ‘Modernization of the Justice Administration System’ program and according to Project Coordinator retired High Court Judge, Justice Claudette Singh, considerable progress has been recorded.

Justice Singh, in keeping with the objectives of the project pointed out that Guyana’s law reports and laws have been updated by bringing reports that were 20 years behind schedule up-to-date.

She said reports for the period 1976 to 2007 have been printed and the law revision which was delayed by seven years has also been updated.

The project has also seen the reduction in the backlog of cases which at the start of the project was 11,000, an accomplishment Justice Singh expressed will be sustained.

There was also the modernization of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Chambers, the Attorney General (AG) Chambers and several courts across the country with high tech information and communication technology (ICT) expected to result in more efficient and timely prosecutions and increased success rates.

The project was funded in part by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through a US$25 million loan. The Project ran for six years beginning July 2007 to 2013.

Justice Singh said “completing the project and achieving the success was no easy task.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall said he was very happy with the project and how it has changed the way things are done in the justice sector.

He believes with these reforms a heightened sense of integrity will be developed for its work. “The project has laid a strong foundation and we must build on that foundation,” he said.

Guyana also came in for high praises from the IDB. There was a resounding call at this morning’s ceremony to mark the close of the project and generate awareness for the changes for it to be treated as a continuous necessitate.

In this regard a call was made by Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh for the technical secretariat of the project, headed by Justice Claudette Singh to be established within the Ministry of Legal Affairs.