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- In St Lucia, parliament is believed to be the “highest court of the land, this is not a kindergarten school.”
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – The government of Guyana is moving to modernise Guyana’s legal profession through major amendments to the Legal Practitioners Act, following growing public complaints and concerns about professional standards.
Speaking on his weekly Issues in the News programme, attorney-general and minister of legal affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, said he has already engaged the judiciary and the Guyana Bar Association on the proposed reforms to bring greater transparency, accountability, professionalism and higher ethical standards to the legal sector.
Among the key measures being considered are mandatory continuing legal education for practising attorneys. The attorney general of Guyana noted that laws and legal principles continue to evolve in areas such as cyber law, artificial intelligence and public decision-making; and that, if legal practitioners remain stagnant, the justice system itself would become stagnant.
The minister also announced plans for new attorneys to undergo a mandatory period of attachment under experienced lawyers before entering full practice.
At the same time, he stated that the disciplinary system for lawyers must be strengthened, as many citizens have complained about poor treatment, uncertainty over where to lodge complaints, and penalties that are often not proportionate to misconduct.
“Justice is crucial to humanity itself. Without justice, there is no society. There can be no development; There can be no economic progress,” minister Nandlall stated, expressing concerns about people acting as lawyers or illegally providing legal services without the proper qualifications or skills. The minister specifically noted that some Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths to Affidavits are performing functions they are not authorised to carry out and are using their appointments for profit.
The attorney-general warned that these practices are illegal and will be met with stronger sanctions, including the revocation of appointments in appropriate cases.
Minister Nandlall further cautioned that attorneys found conspiring with such persons by signing documents and sharing fees will also face disciplinary action under the strengthened legal framework.
