Legislative changes to hold Magistrates, Judges more accountable coming – Pres. Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced that his government will be introducing laws that will hold judges, magistrates and other legal practitioners more accountable.

He made the announcement on Thursday during his address to the nation, where he outlined the government’s policy agenda for economic and social development.

These legislative changes, he said, “will include robust disciplinary processes to ensure timely delivery of decisions in compliance with existing legislation as well as the maintenance of high ethnical and professional standards.”

“Our citizens deserve no less,” the President expressed.

He emphasised that his administration holds an “unflinching commitment” to the rule of law and to the sanctity of legal institutions, noting that “justice must work for the people”.

In addition to the building of new courts across the country to improve access to justice, President Ali stressed the equal importance of the timely delivery of justice in a fair, transparent and efficient manner.

He said Guyana is trying to become a member of the International Framework for Court Excellence (IFCE) which sets international standards of excellence for the performance of courts regarding leadership, strategic management, workforce, infrastructure and processes, user engagement, accessibility and public trust.

He said already, the 2025 IFCE self assessment demonstrates that the judiciary is stable and aligns with principles of good governance.

However, he noted that the next phase requires converting this sound foundation into a system of consistent excellence.

“One where performance is visible, improvement is continuous and public trust is deepened,” the President said.

He said the government welcomes efforts by the judiciary to ensure accountability by pursuing evidence based data management across all levels of the court system, adding that “case disposal and clearance rate standards will be introduced, the use of technology for all court operation, case management, human resources…bail and fines electronically, will be the main areas.”

He also revealed that within a month, the government will be launching the revised edition of Laws of Guyana updated from 2012 to December 2021 and the law reports from 2008-2021.

“These initiatives will make our laws easier, accessible and more user friendly to all our citizens. The law reports will ensure our judges and members of the legal profession have available and accessible important deciding cases to guide them in ensuring an improved quality of justice. Precedence are there for a reason…so that justice is not delayed, so that important decisions are not delayed,” the President noted.

Law revision is an important element in ensuring that Guyana’s laws remain consistent and efficient. The process ensures that the laws keep pace with societal changes, technological advancements and emerging challenges.

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. Compiling these cases in volumes ensures accessibility and facilitates ease and consistency in the judicial process.