-Finance Minister says gov’t committed to fixing existing challenges

TO safeguard the preservation of public trust and the safety of citizens, the sum of $6.2 billion has been earmarked in this year’s budget for the strengthening of the justice system.

During his presentation of the national budget, on Monday, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, said that the government remains resolute in its commitment to strengthening the justice sector.

He added that in the People Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) 2020 Manifesto, measures included the reform and accountability of the criminal justice system to ensure that justice is delivered in a timely manner.

According to the minister, this is especially important in boosting investor confidence in our changing economic climate which relies heavily on the rule of law.

In his presentation, Dr. Singh said that the government has spent $4.4 billion in 2022, and has allocated $6.2 billion in 2023 for the enhancement of the justice sector, which is intended to expand access to justice countrywide, while also addressing existing challenges in the system.

With respect to expanding access to justice, the Kwakwani Magistrate’s Court was commissioned in 2022, while an additional eight courts – Court of Appeal, Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Vigilance, Cove & John, Mahaicony, Bartica, and Mahdia – are slated for completion in 2023.

“Additionally, ICT is being deployed to improve the efficiency of the court system. In this regard, SMART courts are among the new projects intended to accelerate the provision of justice. Additionally, an E-Litigation Programme for the Court of Appeal and the Georgetown High Court, as well as a Case Management System for the Magistrates’ Courts are intended to go live in 2023,” Dr. Singh said during his five-hour long presentation.

Towards these and other initiatives, $1.5 billion has been budgeted for 2023. Additionally, investments are being made to strengthen technical capacity to improve the efficiency of the system.

Some of these 2022 investments include the Prosecutorial Programme at the University of Guyana which will increase the number of prosecutors assigned to various courts countrywide. The aim is to reduce the need for pre-trial detention.

Recently, 34 persons successfully completed the course while enrolment is currently ongoing for the second batch.

Further, in November 2022, the Restorative Justice Act was passed, paving the way for the use of alternative sentencing for specific categories of offences, along with the approval of an amendment to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act, allowing the removal of custodial sentences for persons in possession of 30 grammes or less of cannabis.

The minister highlighted that these measures would all contribute to reducing the burden on the justice system.

In 2023, a number of other initiatives will target the advancement of the constitutional and law reform processes.

These include the operationalising of the Constitutional Reform Commission; the work of the Law Reform Commission; the completion of the Revised Laws of Guyana, and the preparation of the Law Reports of Guyana.

“In this regard, I am pleased to announce that the new Laws of Guyana volumes are expected to be available by June of this year. An amount of over $600 million has been provided to finance these and other initiatives,” he said.

Also, in the interest of expanding the capacity of the justice sector, Minister Singh said that work will be advanced to improve the ease of access to legal education.

Having received the ‘green light’ from the Council of Legal Education (CLE), a feasibility study will be prepared this year, on the establishment of a regional law school in Guyana, within the framework of the CLE.

The minister said that this will cater for local, regional and extra-regional students given the growing need for legal education in Guyana and the Caribbean.

Recently, the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. said that this year will see major adjustments to Guyana’s current family violence laws since the legislation lacks penal sanctions.

The Attorney General said the amendments are long overdue, as the country’s current legislation has been in existence for over 20 years.

He said several pieces of legislation are in the pipeline for 2023, such as the Arbitration Bill, which is expected to pave the way to convert Guyana into a modern arbitration institution, ensuring that it becomes self-sufficient and the arbitration hub of the Caribbean.

Legislation for the advancement and improvement of the healthcare system are also part of the list for 2023. These include the Patient Personal Information Bill, which will prioritise the organisation and utilisation of patient data.

Other pieces of legislation slated for 2023 include the Single Window System Bill, Food Security Bill, Modern Waste Management Bill, Anti-Dumping Bill, Amendments to the Rice Farmers (Security of Tenure) Act, and Amendments to the Sexual Offences Act.