GOVERNMENT’S recent announcement that it was offering full scholarships to students studying at the Hugh Wooding Law School is both timely and commendable.

From the reactions of some of the students, one can tell how much of a relief this is to our many aspiring lawyers. The budding lawyers told reporters at a news conference earlier this week that the scholarships are being made available at a time when Guyanese students attending the Hugh Wooding Law School continue to face extreme financial difficulties in their pursuit of their Legal Education Certificate. Olivia Best, Vice-President of the Guyanese Jurisdiction Committee (GJC), a group that represents Law students at the Hugh Wooding Law School, told reporters that the government’s offer is being made at a time when the annual tuition fee for First Year students has jumped from TT$98,366 to TT$101,066, more than G$3M. The annual fee, coupled with living expenses, create a major financial burden for students pursuing their LEC, Best said.

“Added to that (the TT$101,066), you also have the living expenses,” she said, adding: “Let’s talk about your rent. The average Guyanese student in Trinidad and Tobago will pay between TT$2,500 and TT$3,000. When you convert that to Guyana’s rate, that would be around $90,000 a month… “Apart from that, you still have to consider the living expenses as a student, and on average, a student spends TT$1,500 and TT$2,000 per month. You flip that into Guyana dollars, that would be around $45,000 to $60,000 a month. So when you total all of the expenses for one year, it is nothing less than G$5M. And that is just for one year.”

Amid the current challenges faced by the students, the issue of Guyana opening its own law school has come to the fore. The proposed Joseph Oscar Fitzclarence (J.O.F) Haynes School, named in honour of Guyana’s famed and respected legal mind, who once served as Chancellor of the Judiciary, has attracted mixed reviews. Notably, elements in the Opposition particularly. Former AG, Anil Nandlall had been accused of conspiring with others to frustrate any attempt to set up such an institution here.

Though Guyana does not possess the largest population in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), it plays a major role in establishing institutions in the body. One such institution is the Caribbean Court of Justice, which is expected to make decisions, guided by international laws and precedents, and influenced by the region’s cultural development.
Speaking of the necessity for the school, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams has often said that there are more than 1000 graduates of the Bachelors of Law (LLB) degree from the University of Guyana who are still unable to pursue the Legal Education Certificate. Upon successful completion of this certificate, one can practise in the courts. The issue of the quota system at the Hugh Wooding Law School, as Guyana continues to churn out more LLB graduates than what is allotted it, continues to adversely impact our graduates. Apparently, there has not been much success in arriving at an arrangement of mutual satisfaction on this issue.

In the meantime, the benefit that can be derived from The J.O.F Haynes Law School is that of preparing an increasing amount of minds to help the society in pursuing a democratic path. While all may not practise in the courts, they can provide other critical services. Some of these services include serving as researchers to prepare cases, refining arguments, and challenging opinions in influencing decisions that could bring about progressive changes for society.

On the other hand, there is the view that there are too many lawyers given the size of Guyana’s population. With the many violations of laws and transgressions of citizens’ rights, the more trained in law are prepared to fearlessly stand up in defence of it. Such practice would bring about greater understanding and awareness among the wider society, including within the police force that has responsibility to serve and protect.

In the workplace, relationships between employer and employees have become more complex, and require greater understanding and application of laws, conventions, charters and agreements. Navigating these waters can be problematic, particularly where ignorance exists. Institutions such as trade unions may require its leadership being more au fait with the nuances of the law in aiding proper representation of its membership.

Thus, the issue of having more lawyers is not only about representation in a court, but seeking to protect citizens’ rights, be it at home, in the workplace, or on the streets. The J.O.F Haynes Law School will be the fourth within CARICOM, and brings with it certain advantages. At the market level, Guyana will provide students a comparatively lower tuition fee. Housing and maintenance also will be lower, relative to the other three countries where similar schools exist. These factors will present a competitive edge in attracting students even from outside of the Caribbean, who wish to qualify to practise in the Region. It is, therefore, our hope that soon the stumbling blocks to this project will be removed, and Guyana will finally be able to realise its long-held dream of having its own law school.