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Rehabilitation of the building, which once housed the Regional Health Officer and was, more recently, a temporary location for the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Courts, commenced on June 3 by G.S Construction Services under the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Government of Guyana project which falls under the Modernization of Justice Administration System.
Yesterday, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Anil Nandlall, inspected works carried out on the facility, in the presence of media operatives, and expressed satisfaction at the quality of work done by the contractor.
He is optimistic that the facility would be open to the public as early as the beginning of October.
This is the first time in the history of Guyana that an office of the DPP will be established outside of Georgetown, and Minister Nandlall sees this as a significant accomplishment. “The reason behind the establishment of a DPP Office in Berbice is because the Government has recognised a need to have certain facilities which are offered by the DPP being offered to the people here. It was a promise made in the manifesto of the PPP at the 2011 General and Regional Elections,” he explained.
Matters such as bail petitions and applications for writs of habeas corpus are not filed in Berbice, because of the proceedings that require the DPP to be served, and appear, in those matters. It was noted that those proceedings, concerning the liberty of the subject, are important in the legal landscape of Guyana.
Minister Nandlall added: “Unfortunately, because there is no office of the DPP in Berbice, these documents cannot be served in a timely manner; and as a result, we cannot have the state being represented in Berbice in these matters. Litigants are being forced to file these types of matters all the way in Georgetown, because they can have easy access to the DPP’s Office.”
CORRECTING DEFICIENCIES
Establishment of the Office of the DPP in Berbice is expected to correct deficiencies and facilitate Berbicians to exercise their constitutional rights, such as the legal right to bail, and the right to challenge any form of detention by the police which is deemed unlawful.
“The whole intention of this facility is to make the Office of the DPP, either through herself or her servants or agents, accessible to the people of Berbice,” Minister Nandlall stressed.
Responding to the question of whether or not persons would be able to make requests to have personal meetings with the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Shalimar Ali-Hack, the Attorney General said: “That request would have to be made, and I do not wish to speak on behalf of the DPP, but I am sure that such a request would be granted.”
THE REFURBISHED FACILITY
The lower flat of the facility will house either the Deeds Sub-Registry or the Land Registry, based upon a final decision of the Ministry of Legal Affairs.
Both registries are currently housed beneath the Berbice High Court, and because of inadequate space, staffers are unable to function efficiently, according to Minister Nandlall.
The upper flat of the refurbished building will house the Office of the DPP, and will have living accommodation for out-of-town staff members who may be required to spend time in Berbice during matters at the Berbice Assizes.
The Government of Guyana has plans to establish a similar facility in Essequibo, when funds are available to embark on such a project. The Berbice office will be used as a pilot facility to ascertain whether satellite offices can also be established outside of the three counties of Guyana.
