THE concerns of the current batch of law students, part of the University of Guyana Law Society (UGLS), relative to their admission to the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) were voiced during a meeting with the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, on Tuesday.
Minister Nandlall assured the students that the top 25 graduating students will continue to be given automatic entry, reminding them of the decision taken at the level of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government.
Last June, the decision not to automatically place the 25 students at the Trinidad-based school had left students apprehensive about their future.
The automatic admission was an arrangement that existed under a collaborative agreement among the University of the West Indies (UWI), the Council of Legal Education (CLE) and UG. The agreement had expired, and had not been renewed for the year 2014, hence the controversial decision.
Those difficulties were however resolved through the intervention of the Guyana Government.

EXISTING IMPASSE
According to Nandlall, there is currently an impasse between the UWI and UG in relation to a continuation of a collaborative arrangement which has been in place for the last two decades.
He said UG has put forward some proposals, which are being considered by UWI and it is expected that the two universities will arrive at a solution that is mutually acceptable.
That collaborative arrangement, the AG said, will hopefully crystalise into an agreement that would be brought to the CLE for its approval. “We are hoping that, that would be done within the shortest possible time,” he said.
The AG noted that as a representative of Guyana on the CLE, his preference is and has always been a continuation of an arrangement that will continue to associate the UG LLB programme with that of the UWI.
“I believe that it is important for the integrity of the degree programme and it is important for the quality-control mechanism to continue to be in place to ensure that there is no dilution of standards at the University of Guyana,” he said.

ISSUE OF SPACE
Nandlall pointed out that there continues to be space problems at the current configuration of the CLE, because of the proliferation of new institutions that are doing LLB programmes within the Region.
“Those new facilities coupled with the existing institutions that are providing those programmes are producing many law students who are expected to be accommodated at the Hugh Wooding Law School. It simply cannot continue like that,” he said.
Nandlall also mentioned that there is a Law School in The Bahamas that has the space to offset the growing number of graduates wanting to acquire their LLB and practise at the Bar, but the cost of travel, living, and the tuition fees at the institution are very high, which is a significant deterrent to persons wanting to go there.
He highlighted that an offer was extended some time ago from the Attorney General of The Bahamas for students to go there, should the need arise.
Nandlall explained that there was an indication that an arrangement could be worked out, which would result in a reduction of the tuition fees, dependent however on the number of students who would have indicated a willingness to attend that law school.

COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
In the meantime, Nandlall gave the assurance that, as per the CARICOM Heads’ decision, there will also be a comprehensive review of legal education in the Region with specific emphasis on:
* Revising the syllabus and revising the role the Council is playing
* Whether the Council should continue to be the provider of legal education in the Region; or if it should reassess its role as simply administering a system that will deliver legal education in the Region; and
* Ascertaining whether there is adequate accommodation at the law schools in the Region to house the continuous increase in the numbers of students showing an inclination to pursue studies in the area of law.
The next decision to be made, the AG admitted, pertains to funding to undertake these endeavours, making clear that Guyana has already signalled its commitment to contribute fairly and equitably to meeting this expenditure.
“A common cost would be borne by the entire Region….to undertake what the Heads of Government were recommending, which is a review of the system, is a very costly exercise and an estimation of the cost was submitted to the Heads of Government with discussions on raising the money,” he said.
The AG admitted that the review process would be a long and protracted one, which is more suited as a long- term goal to rectifying the issue at hand.
However, he indicated that from a short- term perspective, the 25 law students will continue to gain entry at the Hugh Wooding Law School, while those outside of the 25 limit will continue to have to write the entrance examinations if they want to attend the same institution.
Nandlall noted too that at the level of the CLE, of which he is an executive member, the concerns of Guyana’s law students are being addressed as a “fundamental” matter.
A meeting of the CLE is scheduled for February 6 in Grenada.