Dear Editor,
It is not surprising that the Time Limit for Judicial Decision Bill 2009 was unanimously approved in Parliament. The public had been yearning for the timely delivery of justice and the lack of that had created misconceptions that there was no scope for the early resolution of disputes if taken to court. Attorney General Mr Charles Ramson, SC has marked his return to the cabinet on a high note.
It must be noted that the work doesn’t end there and there must be a broader-based approach to effectively deal with some of the issues judges may face. Case management is archaic. Unlike some of the jurisdictions in the region, where there is computerization of the filing process and the use of technology in the court room, Guyana retains paper filing and the authorities are still physically bound and used in the court. Considerable time is spent by lawyers reading from textbooks and law reports.
In Barbados, the terms and conditions of the judges appear a lot more attractive. Each judge is assigned a BMW 7 series sedan and a police driver. The judiciary is also served by judicial assistants. The job title is an obvious clue to the essence of an assistant’s role.
A judicial assistant drafts ‘bench memoranda,’ notes for the judges in which the matters are summarized and analysed. They also assist the judges with their legal research.
In other jurisdictions, the proceedings are recorded and transcripts produced shortly after. Judges no longer take copious notes of the proceedings.
A visit to the High Court in Georgetown reveals very poor working conditions and I’m unaware whether the conditions in Essequibo and Berbice are better. The unsalutary working conditions could be a disincentive for judges to discharge their responsibility effectively, expeditiously and justly. It may be argued that the lack of modern facilities and poor facilities establish that the government has adopted an ‘outside child’ attitude towards the judiciary.
The judiciary is a pillar of justice and I’m confident with the return of the Attorney General (himself a former Justice of Appeal) to his former position resources would be made available to modernize the system and improve the working conditions, which would inevitably expedite the process of adjudication, hearing and decision-writing of the cases. It is small price for the establishment of peace, justice and equity in this our dear land of Guyana.
Yours faithfully
Dawn A. Holder
