Govt allocates $395M to complete law reports, revision

The revised laws of Guyana and consolidated rulings between 2008 and 2022 are expected to be completed this year. A further $395 million has been allocated in the 2025 budget for these critical undertakings.

This is according to the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, who presented the 2025 budget to the National Assembly last Friday.

The law revision process sees the laws from 2012 to 2022 being updated to reflect the country’s many legislative changes.

This initiative ensures the legal framework keeps pace with societal changes, technological advancements and emerging challenges.

The revision is being executed by the Regional Revision Centre Inc in Anguilla, through a collaborative effort among the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Ministry of Legal Affairs, and the Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) Project.

The project will be complemented by the comprehensive law reports, which compile court rulings from 2008 to 2022.

A country’s law reports contain important cases that have been decided by the courts. These cases are recorded and kept in volumes to serve as precedent for similar cases that might arise in the future.

“We’ve had teams of advisors working on this. Six of the 14 volumes of the law reports were completed and sent for printing,” Dr Singh said.

The senior minister also highlighted the government’s investments in building human resources in the sector.

To this effect, 10 new puisne judges and nine magistrates were appointed last year, enabling the system to have its full complement of 20 judges and 24 magistrates.

“The addition of these judges and magistrates has improved the pace at which cases are heard and disposed of, thereby reducing the backlog and improving the timeliness of administration of justice,”he stated.

Additionally, the recently included Prosecutorial Programme has made headway with 125 candidates graduating to date, 35 of which are serving as special prosecutors in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten.

The programme is offered through the University of Guyana and equips holders of Bachelors of Law Degree and third-year LLB students with the necessary knowledge and skillset to prosecute cases in the magistrates’ courts on behalf of the state. (DPI)