– Minister Webster
RULES for the Guyana Family Court, which were drafted by local officials and submitted to a Trinidad and Tobago expert, have now been finalised and are expected to be laid before the National Assembly shortly. Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Jennifer Webster, who made the disclosure yesterday, told the Guyana Chronicle it was disclosed recently by Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh and the Court should soon be in operation.
A May 2010 deadline had been set for the inauguration of the first ever such tribunal in this country and the building to accommodate it was constructed in the Georgetown High Court compound.
The new, two-storey edifice has replicated the architectural style of the adjacent  Court and Law Library and the establishment is to deal with issues such as divorce, division of property and other domestic matters, including adoption, guardianship and custody.
The initiative to have a Family Court was prompted by awareness that the family unit is severely affected by societal demoralisation and the recognition has motivated the emphasis on providing an environment where adults and children can seek justice and family law can be dealt with in a specialised manner.
Last  August, former Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand had lamented the fact that rules for the institution were submitted to the responsible committee since November 2010 but were not yet legislated into law.