THE University of Guyana (UG) library now boasts an additional 1000-plus law books, courtesy of the Guyana Law Association of the United Kingdom (UK), through the Guyana High Commission in London.

The handing over ceremony took place Friday in the office of the Pro-Chancellor of the University, Dr Prem Misir, who accepted the books on behalf of the university. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Brian Horne of the Guyana Law Association said the donation has been made in a bid to contribute to improvement of the legal system in Guyana.

He pointed out that, over the past ten years, the association has held various fund-raising activities, and has sent approximately two million pounds sterling worth of books to Guyana, besides those books sent to the offices of the Chancellor of the Judiciary of Guyana and the Director of Public Prosecutions. The association has also stocked the Supreme Court library with books.
Volumes of law books have also been sent to different regions in Guyana, including in East Berbice and at Bartica.

About five years ago, he said, a team came to Guyana to train police prosecutors and magistrates in advocacy and case presentation, among other things.

He disclosed that the association has been in existence for approximately 12 years, and its genesis resulted from a visit by the then Chancellor of the Judiciary, Madam Justice Desiree Bernard, who spoke about the need for materials to support the legal system in Guyana.

Mr. Horne said the association comprises six persons, who, since its formation, have been working together to provide as much support to the legal system in Guyana as they possibly can.
He said their efforts to improve the local legal system have been well supported by the Guyanese diaspora in the UK, as well as by the University of Guyana and by the legal offices in Guyana.

He declared the association very proud to contribute to improvement of the legal system in Guyana, and promised continuation in this regard.

Pro-Chancellor of UG, Professor Prem Misir, pointed to the growing number of students doing law in Guyana, and declared himself proud to be associated with the Guyana Law Association of the UK. He said the university’s library is not in the best physical condition, needing some help from the corporate world to create a better structure for location on the Turkeyen campus; but he believes that a library is the heart or hub of any university.

He indicated that the University of Guyana has been receiving a lot of books from various parts of the Guyanese diaspora, and he noted that this is the second donation of books from Guyanese across the United Kingdom over the past eight months. He said the UG has also received donations from other parts of the Guyanese diaspora, including those in the United States (US) and in Canada.

He pointed out that the collection of law books donated by the Association on this occasion is a very significant one, and the University of Guyana is very grateful for the gift.

He expressed gratitude to the Association for the donation of the books, which he says will make the law section of the university’s library very attractive to many students and to the law community of Guyana as a whole.