IN March, 2007 the Government of Guyana and the Inter–American Development Bank entered into an agreement to execute a  policy-based component of a programme to improve the justice sector. The programme purports to support the Government of  Guyana in implementing a series of policy reforms, including legislative and administrative actions that are necessary to  improve accountability, efficiency and accessibility of Guyana’s justice sector. The programme, the Modernisation of the Justice Administration System, is implemented by the Ministry of Legal Affairs and  has three sub-components. The first sub-component focuses on enhancing the capacity of institutions within the justice  sector. This includes re-organisation of the Director of Public Prosecutions Chambers, phasing out of police prosecution,  drafting of civil and criminal procedural laws, and institutional strengthening of the Ministry of Legal Affairs. The  ultimate goal of this approach is to improve the quality, competence and effectiveness of service delivery in organisations  within the sector.

Sub-component two, entails strengthening systems and linkages among justice institutions. This aspect is concentrated in  the areas of monitoring and evaluation within the sector, the Justice Sector Reform System, the importance of periodic  surveys for beneficiaries and development of civil and criminal committees. This kind of intervention is seen as vital to  achieving a more coordinated and integrated sector at various levels – policy, planning and resource allocation.

The third section addresses improving access to justice. Access to justice in this context, is the ability of people to  exercise their rights and resolve their disputes through the justice system, without distinction. The programme recognizes  that over the years there have been a number of challenges in the justice administration system, which have impacted on  compliance with the ‘rule of law’. Hence, it looks at  legal aid, informal justice, specifically the development of a  paralegal system, revising  laws from 1976 to 2006, updating of law reports from 1977 to 2007, strengthening  the Legal  Practitioners’ Committee, mediation, improving the process for the movement of files in the court system, strengthening the  Judicial Service Commission , reducing the backlog of cases in the High Court, strengthening the administration system in  the courts and building the capacity of judges and magistrates.

Generally, the overarching goal of the programme is to enhance the investment climate and rights enforcement through  improved public sector governance. Thus, over the past three years of the project implementation, much has been achieved  towards that objective.
The ministry has therefore commenced an extensive national legal awareness effort to complete the programme. This legal  awareness falls under sub-component three – improving access to justice and the aim is to create greater awareness and  educate members of the public and stakeholders at various levels in the public, private and civil society sectors, on the  justice sector and rights and responsibilities. Another objective would be to advocate for change in behaviour towards the  ‘rule of law’ by citizens.
Focus would also be on building partnerships and improving relations between the public, private and civil society sectors  and the justice sector, in an attempt to develop a better understanding and build trust.
Specifically, the legal awareness will include media relations, community outreach and capacity building sessions for  media, public, private, and civil society representatives.