With encouragement from UK…

Addressing the meeting of the Guyana Association of Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths to Affidavits, is Attorney-at-Law, Rabi Shankar Sukul LLB (Hons London). He is flanked by his wife, Mrs. R.S. Sukul and Chairman of the local JP Association, Mr. Hermon Bholaisingh.

The aim follows a recent meeting in Georgetown with United Kingdom (UK) based Guyanese Attorney-at-law, Mr. Rabi Shankar Sukul, who has just concluded a visit here, during which he attended the GJPA monthly general meeting at Georgetown Magistrate’s Court Nine.

At that forum, Sukul addressed a number of issues related to the functioning of local JPs and Commissioners of Oaths to Affidavits (COAs).

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle after the presentation, he said he is hoping to see improvements, as JPs and COAs can aspire to higher office.

Sukul, who hails from Leonora, West Coast Demerara, migrated to London in 1985, said he has been practising in the UK for the last 21 years, having been admitted to the Bar there and in Guyana since 1988.

The legal practitioner said the primary objective of his discussions with the GJPA membership was, to advocate that the Parliament of this country legislate into the statutes for the Association to derive power and gain greater recognition for its members, as well.

Sukul, who has aspirations of returning to serve in his homeland, said he believes he could bring some semblance of betterment to the Guyanese justice system.

A section of the gathering at the meeting addressed by Attorney-at-Law Rabi Shankar Sukul.

Sukul thinks there is a great scope for his collaboration with the GJPA and said: “Now that I have seen what obtains, ideas come to mind for improvement but I sense it is necessary for me to first have some level of local intelligence, since I would not want to say anything that would be out of place, inaccurate or, indeed, misleading. I have to be cautious and I take that extremely seriously.”

He said some of the matters discussed with the GJPA are strengthening its membership; training in mediation for JPs and a proposal for them to function as lay magistrates.

Sukul, observing that there are no lay magistrates in Guyana, said he feels strongly that such functionaries should be introduced as in the UK, bearing in mind that the local jurisprudence is really a product of the British.

He said the JPs would be able to perform functions in the lowest tier of the administration of justice, like settling disputes; applying sanctions; eviction of tenants; addressing matters of domestic violence; noise nuisance and make decisions on minor infractions of the law.

Highlighting the importance of lay magistrates, he said, without them in the UK, the criminal and civil justice systems would probably collapse.

Earlier this year, Justice Desiree Bernard of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), former Chancellor of the Guyana Judiciary, addressing them, pointed to the need for JPs to be more active and emphasised the importance of lay magistrates.

General Secretary of the GJPA, Mr. Derek Goolsarran, said the body currently works closely with the Police, in order to ensure justice for people who cannot afford to retain legal counsel.

He, too, feels the JPs should be more involved with more authority rather than be desk bound to sign documents and the like, functions that are restricted.

“What we are trying to do now, is to see if the powers can be increased so that JPs can play a more meaningful part in the judicial process.

The GJPA was established on April 13, 1994, and registered under the Friendly Societies Act.

Its President is Mr. Hermon Bholaisingh.