EU To Assist Guyana In Strengthening Local Justice Sector

Photo above: Guyana’s President David Granger, left, shares a toast with newly accredited EU Ambassador to Guyana, Jernej Videtič. Photo credit: newssourcegy.com.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana CMC – On Monday, the European Union (EU) offered to assist Guyana in developing and implementing major reforms in the justice sector.

The new Ambassador of the Delegation of the EU to Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and for the Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories, Jernej Videtic, met with the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams and discussed ideas for the justice sector.

“We are very pleased to share the areas of reform that are in line with the Human Rights aspect of everything that is done in the courts…we heard also the possibilities where the European Union could come as a development partner…where we could do more to help Guyana,” Ambassador Videtic explained.

He said, already there is a new regional programme entitled “Crime and Security,” which is a multi-country programme that can be financed by the EU.

He said that a regional conference on the “Abolishment of the death penalty” will be organised for November by the EU to which Williams is expected to attend, and present Guyana’s position.

Williams said during the meeting, he was appraised of the various aspects of the EU’s programme that can assist in the delivery of justice, and the Crime and Security Programme.

He said other matters discussed relate to the question of case backlog, the programme for the Attorney General’s Chamber as proposed in the 2016 budget, cyber-crime and the establishment of a permanent law reform commission, and law revision..

“Cybercrime has a regimen of its own…investigators will have to understand what’s a cyber-offence, prosecutors will have to be trained and equally, magistrates and judges,” Williams said, adding that the government intends to utilise the constitutional provision allowing for the appointment of part-time judges.

“If we have four judges working for six months this would contribute to the ending of the backlog…the backlog could also be ended by the introduction of the new civil rules,” Williams said.