COME early next year, the government will be taking the proverbial bull by the horns and tabling a menu of legislative measures to help stem the tide of domestic violence here, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall announced on Friday.

He made the welcome announcement during the opening of the novel Domestic Violence Interview and Virtual Hearing Rooms at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court in New Amsterdam, seat of administration of the Ancient County of Berbice.

Among the measures at reference are the revamping of the Domestic Violence Act, and the tabling of the Sexual Harassment Law, and the innovative Restorative Justice Bill.

According to the Attorney-General, Restorative Justice is a new concept that seeks to go into the mind of the offender and examine the circumstances that may have precipitated him or her to act the way they did. “In so doing,” he said, “attempts will be made to try to implement the process of reform, so as to seek to address the sore issue, by removing them from the place of abode.

“And if the root problem is Domestic Violence, then there is a need to address that problem…”
As he went on to say, “Domestic Violence is a serious problem, but we continue to remain committed to stamping it out in every form and fashion that exist in our society. But it cannot be a job for the government alone; it is too huge a problem that has crawled its way into all the crevices of our society and into our social life for it to be a government problem. It is a societal problem, but all of us must commit ourselves to stamping it out.”

Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who was also at the function, acknowledged that domestic violence is underreported and transcends all barriers. And whereas a few men and women tend to come forward with reports, their engagement with the police or court reopens the traumas, and as such persons are reluctant to come forward.

She also noted that domestic violence is the least likely of the violent crimes to be reported to the police, and that if persons were to really come forward, then we may very well have a totally different and “very alarming” picture of what really obtains.

In terms of what the government has been doing so far to address the problem, Justice Cummings-Edwards said: “Recently, in conjunction with UNICEF, we partnered with the University of Guyana for a training programme to build capacity of our staff, and to give us a better understanding of the issues that confront the virtual complainants and survivors. We are seeking to have a hospitable court environment for both the complainant and the defendant, as there must be fairness to both parties.”

THE SPACE
Describing the venue for the benefit of those at the opening ceremony, Justice Cummings-Edwards said: “With the new interview and virtual hearing rooms, victims can sit in the comfort of a room that is furnished with all modern amenities for testifying and their comfort.

“It includes television, audio visual recorders, sofas, microwave, fridge…
The defendant can see the virtual complainant, and also cross-examine, as we are seeking to establish equal justice for all parties.”

Among those in attendance at the function were: Members of the Judiciary, the Magistracy, the Bar Association, the Guyana Police Force, along with the Mayors of Corriverton and New Amsterdam.

Earlier in the day, seven Virtual Hearing Rooms with child-friendly spaces outfitted with all modern amenities and costing approximately $700,000 each were opened at courthouses within the West Berbice Magisterial District, Corentyne Magisterial District, and the Berbice Magistrate District.