ONE of the main points in the PPP/C Manifesto is the improvement of the justice system in Guyana. This is a key component, which will see revamping of the system’s overall administration, efficiency, and fairness for all citizens of this country. This is indeed good news for a very important facet of human existence regarding how the PPP/C deals with legal issues and how it administers justice.
In recent times, the justice system has left much to be desired as regards matters such as penalties for serious crimes and the perennial burden of a huge backlog of cases.
If our country is to successfully move forward, the judicial arm must certainly be strengthened so that its citizens feel safe that those who run foul of the law are duly punished. Citizens’ grievances must also be dealt with in a fair and timely manner.
What currently obtains is a woeful picture, which the public would like the government to urgently address.
One aspect of the law I would like the incoming administration to bring into existence is the establishment of a Small Claims Court, where cases can be heard outside of the intimidating presence of a lawyer. This court could be conducted in the existing edifices, and cases can be heard on a special day of each week. Court staffing could come from the ranks of justices of the peace, retired principals and teachers, persons who are quite knowledgeable in matters of the law; or, if necessary, those personnel should be given a crash course in the basic tenets of the law before venturing out to practise. I am advocating the sitting of three judges at court hearings, a move away from the customary lone judge that we see operating in First World countries.  One of the three judges should be the lead judge, who will have the casting vote at decision time, while the other two would be standing in as jurors. In this way, the adjudication of matters would be fair and balanced. There should be a ceiling to the monetary claims one can sue for in this court; I respectfully suggest somewhere in the financial vicinity of $100,000.
I think my proposal is sound and warrants serious consideration and implementation. It would certainly see the conclusion of many court matters in record time at affordable cost to the small man.
This would end the usual pandering to high-priced lawyers, long postponements, and the mind-boggling backlog of cases we are currently experiencing.
Our magistrates and judges would then have more time to deal with serious cases confronting them, while the minor matters would be left to the small court. I think it would certainly be a first for the Caribbean, if not the world.