ATTORNEY General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall has announced plans to engage the Guyana Bar Association in the coming months as part of a review of the Legal Practitioners Act, following calls from the judiciary for reform.
Speaking during his weekly programme Issues in the News, Nandlall said the existing legislation governing the legal profession must be examined to ensure stronger accountability, modernisation of professional standards, and greater protection for the public.
“The judiciary is calling for a review of the Legal Practitioners Act, and I support that call,” Nandlall said.
“I will be meeting with the executive of the Guyana Bar Association and will be engaging them on this matter over the next several months, the Legal Practitioners Act must be reviewed.”
He pointed to persistent public complaints about the conduct of lawyers as one of the driving factors behind the proposed reforms, noting that the profession must be willing to confront its own shortcomings.
“A stronger disciplinary framework, a framework that extracts a greater degree of accountability and responsibility from the legal profession, must be installed,” he said.
Nandlall added, “Too many persons complain about the treatment which they receive at the hands of the lawyers. Too many persons complain of alleged negligent conduct by their lawyers.”
The Attorney General also referenced concerns about dishonesty within the profession, stressing the need for candid self-reflection. “Too many persons complain about alleged dishonest conduct at the hands of their lawyers, and as a legal profession, we have to be candid and we have to accept the need to reform ourselves,” he said.
Against this backdrop, Nandlall underscored the importance and stature of the legal profession in society, noting that it is one built on nobility and honour and plays a role in molding a society by ensuring adherence to the rule of law and compliance with public order.
He disclosed that initial discussions with the Bar Association had already indicated alignment on the need for change. “I’m happy in my engagement briefly, as it was with the president of the Bar Association that he shares my view; we need to modernise the entire environment in which the legal profession is operating,” Nandlall said.
Among the areas identified for review are disciplinary mechanisms, mandatory membership in representative bodies, and the regulation of unqualified individuals performing legal functions. “My Intervention is to protect the legal profession,” he said, while warning against the harm caused when untrained individuals offer legal services.
The Attorney General also highlighted the need to revisit provisions related to advertising, particularly in the context of modern digital practices such as law firm websites.