IN a significant step towards enhancing judicial efficiency and accessibility, the judiciary on July 2, 2024, opened an additional courtroom at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts.
This brings the number of courtrooms at the East Bank Demerara (EBD) courthouse to three.

“The inauguration of this new facility marks a pivotal development in the ongoing efforts to address the growing caseload and improve the delivery of justice in the region,” the judiciary said in a statement. Magistrate Dylon Bess presided over the first matters heard.

The judiciary expects that the addition of Magistrate Bess and the commissioning of this new courtroom would improve access to justice because there will now be three magistrates sitting at Diamond Magistrates’ Courts instead of two. Court 3—the new courtroom—will have sittings every working day until further notice. The other two magistrates presiding at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts are Sunil Scarce and Judy Latchman.

The simple yet noteworthy commissioning ceremony was attended by Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards; Registrar of the Supreme Court of Judicature, Sueanna Lovell; Deputy Registrar, Alicia Lowenfield; Court Manager Trevor Baird and other staff of the Supreme Court of Judicature.

Located at 608 Golden Grove, Section C, Block Y, EBD, the $143.5 million Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts was opened in January 2020 to provide access to justice to the increasing population along the EBD.
The judiciary is enhancing its infrastructure and human resources to ensure more efficient and effective delivery of justice. These improvements aim to reduce case backlogs and provide better service to the public. Since its reconstitution, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has overseen a meticulous selection process to ensure the appointment of highly qualified judicial officers.

In February, nine lawyers, many of whom served in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) as state counsel, were appointed to serve as magistrates.
Then in April, three magistrates were elevated to Commissioners of Titles (Land Court Judges) and have been posted at the High Courts in Berbice and Essequibo.
In a historic ceremony that took place last month, 10 puisne judges were sworn in, making it the highest complement of judges to be appointed in Guyana’s history.

There are now at least six appellate judge vacancies at the Court of Appeal, as a result of the Court of Appeal Act being amended last year to increase the number of judges.
Under the old law, the Court of Appeal was to have no less than two judges and no more than five. However, the modified legislation stipulates that the minimum and maximum number of Justices of Appeal are now five and nine, respectively.

Currently, the JSC is in the process of selecting candidates to be appointed as Justices of Appeal.
In addition to adding manpower, the government has launched a massive investment initiative aimed at merging sophisticated technologies and new infrastructure solutions.
One of the significant technological advancements is the installation of a voice recording system in courtrooms. This technology guarantees that court proceedings are accurately and comprehensively recorded, avoiding the need for manual note-taking and inaccuracies.

Furthermore, virtual courtrooms have been established, allowing for remote hearings while decreasing the necessity for actual attendance. The Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams platforms have all proven useful in this sense. This development is particularly beneficial in cases involving long-distance travel by a party or during emergency situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The judicial system has also seen the implementation of electronic case management, filing, and payment systems. This method allows parties to file documents and pay online using Mobile Money Guyana (MMG), drastically decreasing administrative bottlenecks and wait periods.

It also ensures the swift handling of cases.
Modified containers are being used as virtual courts, which reduces the high costs associated with transporting prisoners from prison locations to courts around the country.
Electronic notice boards have been installed at some magistrates’ courts to facilitate easier access to information for court users.

Over the past four years, several new magistrate’s court buildings were constructed around the country while existing ones were either extended or rehabilitated. In May, a new wing, comprising a courtroom, judges’ chambers, a secretariat for the JSC and a library were commissioned at the Court of Appeal.
For this year, the judiciary received a $6.8 billion budgetary allocation.