THE Supreme Court of Guyana, in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges Association of London, England, yesterday began a two-day seminar on domestic violence. 

Continuing at the Pegasus Hotel, in Kingston, Georgetown, it aims to provide Guyanese magistrates with an opportunity to discuss the major issues in such cases, as they confront them in the dispensation of justice with a view to strengthening its administration.

While the principal target group are members of the local magistracy, there was also a special session for Police prosecutors, probation, welfare and child care officers, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups and other key stakeholders.
At the end of the morning session yesterday, the intention was for participants to obtain a clearer understanding of the nature and effects of domestic violence as well as a greater knowledge of the offence and the offender, so that they will be better able to deal with the issue.
Facilitators were Mark Guthrie, Legal Advisor, Justice Section, Legal and Constitutional Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, London; Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale of the Turks and Caicos Islands; Justice Shamin Qureshi, Director of Programmes for Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association, London, UK; Dianne Douglas, Clinical Psychologist, Trinidad and Tobago and, from Guyana, Acting Chancellor Carl Singh, Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry and Karen DeSouza of the NGO Red Thread.

Alarming level
In his remarks at the forum, the Chancellor disclosed that incidents of domestic violence in Guyana are at an alarming level. In 2013, Guyana recorded 29 resultant murders, with 21 of the victims being women and girls.
“It has been noted that domestic violence damages the prospects for economic and social development of every country and not just the lives of the victims. It is also important, in my view, that we must see domestic violence as a critical human rights issue because it impacts upon and infringes the constitutional guarantee of all victims and particularly women to the right to life, liberty and security of the person,” Justice Singh remarked.
In the endeavour to curb or eliminate the scourge of domestic violence in society, he said the role of the Central Government cannot be ignored.
“Significantly, I believe that it is not only the outlining of policies and programmes that are important but implementation of these, coupled with meaningful interventions at all levels of our society are what will make the difference,” Chancellor Singh stated.

Every country
Justice Qureshi agreed that domestic violence is a problem in every country and so Guyana is no different.
He recalled that, a few years ago, he went to a domestic violence conference in Russia and, according to the statistics there, domestic violence leads to the death of a woman every four minutes.
“So that equates to 36 deaths per day. So, if we compare Guyana to Russia, then we can, probably, say it’s not really a problem in Guyana and we can congratulate ourselves because we’re not as bad as Russia,” he declared.
However, he said, even a single death from domestic violence, has to be eradicated at all cost.

(By Telesha Ramnarine)