THE revised business plan for the Joseph Haynes Law School to be established here was on Thursday discussed by stakeholders.
Representatives from the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) met with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, S.C., along with other members of the task force to examine the provisions of the UCC’s revised business plan.

The UCC is one of the Jamaican partners in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) geared at establishing the local law school. In a statement to the media, the Attorney General’s office said that the business plan was submitted pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) entered into between the UCC, Law College of the Americas (LCA) and the Government of Guyana (GOG).

That plan contained a provision for a feasibility study to be done to determine the viability of establishing the Law School. “The discussions are ongoing and the task force will submit a response to the proposals in the Business Plan,” the statement said. It is also expected that the task force will submit counter proposals to the joint venture partners.
The members of the task force at present include Professors Harold Lutchman and Rudolph James, Justices James Patterson, and Claudette Singh S.C., Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Economist Dr. Morris Odle, Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram, Law Revision Consultant, Justice Abdullahi Zuru and Solicitor-General Kim Kyte.

In January, the Government of Guyana signed the MOU with its stakeholders and it was disclosed that it will hold a 30 per cent share in the school and will contribute only the land where the school is to be built. On the other hand, its partner will hold 70 per cent shares and will foot all other costs. The school is likely to be located at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown.

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, S.C., who signed on behalf of the Government, said Guyana was given permission to establish the school over two decades ago by the Caribbean Legal Education Accreditation body, but this was never done by successive governments. Over the years, Guyana resorted to sending 25 of its LLB holders to the Trinidad-based Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS), while the others have been unable to practice law because of their inability to acquire the Legal Education Certificate (LEC).

The hefty cost attached to acquisition of the LEC has been cited as one of the primary factors which have prevented students from acquiring the certificate. However, this school is expected to provide the same level of education at a cheaper cost compared to similar institutions across the region. The JOF Haynes Law School, named after prominent Guyanese jurist, Joseph Oscar Fitzclarence Haynes, is expected to build on the legacy of the Norman Manley Law School and its counterparts – The Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago and the Eugene Dupuch Law School in the Bahamas.