Government in 2019 will support the appointment of more judges and magistrates and the Law Reform Commission is expected to become fully operational, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan said yesterday.
He made these disclosures while outlining the plans for judicial reform and strengthening during his 2019 budget presentation.
Jordan told the National Assembly that government continued to improve dispensation of justice, with provision being made to add another courthouse in Region 1, in addition to the four new courthouses set up in 2018 in Grove/Diamond, Bartica, Mahdia and Kwakwani.
Additionally, he said government will support the judiciary as “they seek to expand their complement of magistrates and judges, in 2019, and beyond, in support of our collective efforts to reduce the backlog of cases in the courts.” There has been no Judicial Service Commission for more than a year. The commission plays an integral role in the appointment of judges and magistrates and many have questioned the reason behind the delay in having it reconstituted.
Jordan told the House that the Commissioners of the Law Reform Commission are being identified and once fully constituted and operational, the Commission is anticipated to commence its critical role in the updating of the laws of Guyana in 2019.
He said too that the rule of law serves as the backbone for any society and as such it is the legal framework that serves to enforce contracts, protect rights and provide for safety, among other key features of a modern society. To this end, he informed the Government will be injecting $3.6 billion into the justice sector, in 2019, to maintain as well as improve the legal landscape of Guyana. This sum represents an increase of 15.8 percent over Budget 2018.
He noted that the unanimous passage of the Juvenile Justice Bill by the House signals the collective commitment to reform government’s approach to dealing with this part of the citizenry. “The Act updates Guyana‘s juvenile justice system to be consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with the aim of guaranteeing juveniles’ access to legal assistance, re-insertion and diversion programmes, and providing children and adolescents to be accountable for their violations of the law,” he reminded.
The minister noted that the new law incorporates diversionary measures, court appearances, sentencing, a Juvenile Justice Committee and support facilities such as a halfway house. Modern options and alternative measures are being explored prior to committing a child to a detention facility, he said while adding that a costing of the implementation of this Act indicates that key cost drivers include training and the establishment of a halfway house, for which land will be identified in 2019.
The Government, he informed intends to expand legal aid access in 2019, including legal assistance in the defence of minor, non-violent offenders, as well as increasing the use of restorative justice. With regard to the latter, he said, a draft restorative justice bill has already been submitted to the Attorney General‘s Chambers for review. This draft bill emphasises alternative dispute resolution mechanisms which seek to repair the harm caused by criminal behaviour by facilitating constructive mediation between stakeholders.
“In 2019, we will endeavour to establish a restorative justice office, as well as train around 1,200 persons across the justice sector on restorative justice,” Jordan said.
According to the minister, with respect to alternative sentencing measures, the Government will be developing judicial policies for non-custodial measures. “By 2021, we hope to reduce the pre-trial detention by 5 percent and recidivism by at least 2 percent,” he said.
