…as legal sector undergoes massive transformation
GUYANA’s legal sector is undergoing massive transformation, as government continues to pursue its developmental agenda.
This is according to the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, in his presentation yesterday, during the budget debate 2012. The national budget for 2012 was presented by Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh, under the theme ‘Remaining on Course, United in Purpose, Prosperity for All’, the largest budget in the country’s history, at a total of $192.8 billion He declared, “I believe that the essence of a budget presentation is lost when one listens to the debate which has transpired”.
Nandlall, who dispelled several claims made by the Opposition on government’s programmes, said the 2012 budget is simply a page taken from the developmental agenda of the PPP/C Administration, an agenda which commenced in 1993, and it is in that context that the 2012 budget must be seen.
“I get the feeling that there is an expectation that this budget must contain a solution to every single economic, social, political and other problem confronting the people of this country. No budget in the world can boast of that type of potential,” he noted.
The 2012 budget is a programme which will transform the economic, social and physical landscape of this country and will result in transformational changes to the lives and livelihoods of the Guyanese people, he said.
Adding, “We have taken 19 years and we have reached where we are. In my humble view, and I am confident that the people of this country agree with me, we have made monumental progress”.
Nandlall said to understand and appreciate the progress made, it is necessary to go back and examine “what we inherited”, as he referred to the economy being bankrupt when the People’s National Congress left the government.
He said economic growth that was in the negative for nearly eight years prior to 1992, is now consistently at an average of 4.4 percent.
The Attorney General reminded that, last year, it was 5.4 percent in an adverse global and regional economic environment, and the economy is at its strongest and largest ever.
He also referred to government’s social programme to benefit the people, such as the housing programme.
He pointed to the $6B being injected into the Guyana Power and Light Inc., and $4B to Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).
“And yet we hear from the other side that the people are not benefiting from the budget,” he underlined.
“We stood by the bauxite industry for 20 years while it made no profit; we stood by them and we took money from central government and pumped it into Linden to keep that community alive, and we have brought that industry to a state of profitability for the first time in 20 years,” he posited.
In terms of governance, he argued that this administration has passed a Freedom of Information Act and ensures that the Auditor General presents his report to the National Assembly each year, and every organisation in the country run by public funds is audited, and reports are presented in the National Assembly.
Alluding to Opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) MP, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine’s claims as they relates to governance and the constitution, he said, “He must understand the herculean task that we had to undertake to reshape what we have now”.
The Attorney General insisted, “It will take time to correct all the destruction which has taken place. We are working hard and we will continue to do so”.
Nandlall said the constitution has been reformed to “deepen our democratic process and to strengthen our commitment to the rule of law”, and he noted that today, the Chief Justice and the Chancellor can only be appointed with the agreement of Leader of the Opposition, which was never the case before.
“The legal sector is undergoing massive transformation,” the attorney general underscored.
He said physical transformation of the infrastructural facilities continue, including a new court to be opened soon at Leonora, the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court going through its final stages of refurbishment, and the  DPP office being renovated.
He said there has been institutional strengthening taking place, with tremendous boost to the library facilities at both the Director of Public Prosecutions office and Attorney General’s Chambers, and at the High Court and New Amsterdam libraries.
The Justice Improvement Programme, he said, is coming to an end and he reported the long-awaited laws of Guyana, both online and hard copies, incorporating all the amendments and regulations passed by the House and under ministerial orders since 1997 to December 2010, will become available before June 1, 2012.
In terms of the law reports, he said they have started the online versions, and all law reports will be accessible online to members of the public in two weeks, adding, “So from 1932, every single reported case ever decided in this country will be accessed online – a historic accomplishment”.
Recognising the importance of a law reporting system for a functioning democracy and the judicial sector, he said the law reports of Guyana up to 2010, will be available soon.
He said these are IDB-financed projects, and they have provisions that mandate how the projects are going to be executed and the process is transparent.
The Attorney General said the Deeds Registry reform continues and they have begun the digitisation process of the records, and the transport system is already computerised.
Nandlall assured the House that a Registrar of Deeds will soon be appointed, and the reform also includes the conversion of the institution from a public service institution to a semi-autonomous body.
He said legislation has been passed to this effect, and now has to be brought into force, and a board has to be established, and to this end, the legislation will be brought back to parliament for further amendments.
The Attorney General said for the first time in the history of Guyana, the Official Gazette will be placed online.
He said under the Competitiveness Strategy and the remainder of the Justice Improvement Programme, they intend to separate the commercial registry from the Deeds Registry, with the establishment of a Commercial Registry.
In terms of the Land Registry, he said that organisation now comes under the administration of his Ministry of Legal Affairs, and consultations will take place with stakeholders as they design the way forward to reform that institution.
Also, he said they have a packed legislative agenda for this year, with new industries emerging, such as the oil and gas industry.
“The legislative department of the AG Chambers has already commenced negotiations and discussions with persons who are trained in those very complex areas, and we are beginning the design of legislation to deal with these emerging sectors,” he told the House.
The PPP/C MP said they are also to amend certain important legislation that will have tremendous impact on the lives of the ordinary people, such as the Deeds Registry Act and Civil Law Act.
Looking at judges, Nandlall said they are going to bring to the National Assembly the Act to allow them to appoint part-time judges.
“This government remains committed to ensuring that the judiciary remains the institution that it is intended to be; we have committed to the construction of a national democratic state and we intend to carry that agenda out,” he said.
He assured the nation that in 2012, the allocation committed for the sector in the budget will go towards improving the legal system of the country “so that they will get a superior and better quality of justice”.