—Minister says more than 100 organisations, agencies and stakeholders engaged in reform process
MINISTER of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira has defended the consultative process behind the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2026, saying the proposed legislation was subjected to extensive stakeholder engagement over a one-year period before being tabled in the National Assembly.
In a statement issued on Friday, Teixeira sought to address what she described as misinformation circulating on social media and other public platforms regarding the Bill, which was presented for its first reading on June 5.
According to the minister, the amendment bill was developed through a comprehensive process involving government ministries, legal practitioners, civil society organisations, professional bodies, faith-based groups, regional representatives, and members of the public.
“I believe that in the interest of removing a lot of misinformation, I am duty-bound to inform the public and to report in detail on the broad and widespread consultative process on this amendment bill which was implemented between 2024 and 2025,” Teixeira stated.
The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill was tabled by Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud on Friday, June 8, and seeks to strengthen protections for victims of sexual violence, while introducing Guyana’s first National Sex Offenders Registry aimed at improving victim protection, enhancing accountability and closing legislative gaps identified within the criminal justice system.
LEGISLATIVE GAPS
According to Teixeira, the review of the Sexual Offences Act formed part of the broader Support for the Criminal Justice System Programme, an initiative implemented by the Ministry of Legal Affairs with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
She explained that although the Sexual Offences Act introduced significant reforms when it was enacted in 2010 and amended in 2013, there was a recognised need to revisit the legislation to ensure it remained responsive to changing societal realities and emerging challenges.
The minister noted that concerns over the prevalence of sexual violence cases and the need to strengthen protections for victims prompted authorities to commission a comprehensive review of the legislation. A consultant was subsequently hired to identify legislative gaps, engage stakeholders, and recommend reforms.
One of the major recommendations emerging from the legal gap analysis was the establishment of Guyana’s first National Sex Offender Database, an issue that has generated significant public discussion in recent weeks.
TECHNICAL EXPERTS AND CONSULTATIONS
Teixeira said the analysis examined international practices, and found that while sex offender registries exist in several countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom, access to those databases is generally restricted to law enforcement agencies. Trinidad and Tobago remains the only Caribbean jurisdiction with a system that allows limited public access to information on convicted sex offenders.
The review also highlighted concerns raised internationally about public registries and their potential implications for privacy and other human rights protections.
Teixeira stressed that the process to develop the legislation was not confined to technical experts but included broad public engagement.
She said the first phase of consultations involved legal and criminal justice practitioners, including the Director of Public Prosecutions, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, senior State counsel, State counsel, members of the criminal bar, and magistrates. Their recommendations formed the basis of the initial draft legislation.
Consultations were then expanded to include government ministries and agencies whose work intersects with victim protection and the administration of justice. Invitations were sent to several ministers, including then Education Minister Priya Manickchand and Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr. Vindhya Persaud, seeking their comments and recommendations on the proposed reforms.
“This inter-agency approach ensured that the proposed amendments benefitted from multidisciplinary perspectives, and reflected the practical realities of institutions involved in the prevention, detection, reporting, investigation, prosecution, and response to sexual offences,” Teixeira explained.
Following completion of the consultancy, the draft bill was disseminated through traditional and social media channels to encourage public feedback. Teixeira noted that in May 2024, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall publicly invited members of the parliamentary opposition and the wider public to review the draft and submit recommendations.
NO RESPONSE FROM OPPOSITION
According to the minister, no response was received from the opposition despite the invitation being publicly extended.
She added that the draft legislation remained publicly available for nearly a year and attracted submissions from several organisations and individuals, including Red Thread Guyana, the Indigenous Delegation Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Danuta Radzik, Vanda Radzik and Vidyaratha Kissoon.
A milestone in the consultation process was the National Stakeholders Forum held on July 3, 2024, at the Cara Lodge in Georgetown.
Teixeira said 103 agencies and organisations were invited to participate, with 62 confirming attendance. Participants represented all 10 administrative regions, government ministries, constitutional commissions, the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, indigenous organisations, faith-based groups, trade unions, private sector bodies, medical professionals, civil society organisations and representatives of the LGBTQI community.
According to the minister, one of the most significant recommendations discussed during the forum was the establishment of a sex offenders registry.
“The establishment of the Sex Offenders Registry/Data Base was welcomed by all participants as a major step forward in monitoring and tracking convicted offenders,” Teixeira stated.
On Wednesday, President Dr. Irfaan Ali directed that the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill be referred to a Select Committee of the National Assembly for further consideration.
The announcement was made by Vice- President Bharrat Jagdeo in a statement posted on Facebook, where he disclosed that both the President and Cabinet support making any sex offenders registry established under the legislation publicly accessible.
According to Jagdeo, the President believes that any register of convicted sex offenders should be open to the public, a position he said he strongly supports.
“President Dr. Irfaan Ali has instructed that the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, presented in the National Assembly on June 5, 2026, be sent to a Select Committee. He has also indicated that it is his view, and that of the Cabinet, that any register of sex offenders must be public. I strongly share this view,” Jagdeo stated.
The President’s decision followed widespread public discussion on the legislation and calls from sections of society for convicted sex offenders to be publicly identified.
Teixeira, however, noted that participants at the July 2024 consultations had recommended a different approach.
“The issue of whether it should be open or not was also discussed and the recommendation was to have it closed with application for information on an offender,” Teixeira added.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Following the forum, recommendations were reviewed and incorporated into revised drafts of the legislation before being circulated once again among key ministers and technical stakeholders. Additional consultations were conducted with police officers, prison officers, probation officers, state counsel and police prosecutors during a sensitisation exercise held in November 2024.
The consultation process was further expanded in April 2025 when the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security hosted a public awareness symposium at the Umana Yana during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stakeholders used the forum to discuss proposed amendments relating to victim protection, investigative procedures and the establishment of the National Sex Offender Database.
Teixeira said the recommendations arising from those engagements were incorporated into the final draft before it was submitted to the Attorney General for review and finalisation.
She emphasised that the consultation process spanned approximately one year and involved a broad cross-section of Guyanese society.
“Noteworthy is that this intensive consultative process on the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill spanned a period of one year involving the participation of a wide range of government ministers, stakeholders from a broad cross section of Guyanese society and technical practitioners and gate keepers,” Teixeira said.
She added, “It would be grossly incorrect to state that this bill was not subjected to the rigour of consultation and participation of the widest possible views.”
According to the minister, the Bill subsequently underwent scrutiny by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Bills and Cabinet itself.
However, its progress was interrupted by the dissolution of Parliament ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
