A total of 29 ranks from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) ranging from Constable to Superintendent, are now equipped with prosecuting skills, after graduating last Friday from a 6-month Prosecutor’s Course.
The graduation, which was hosted at the Nations University on New Market Street, Georgetown, recognised the achievements of one Superintendent, one Deputy Superintendent, four Sergeants, six Corporals, three Lance Corporals, and 12 Constables.
Sergeant Quincy Lacon and Superintendent Kevin Das were announced as the two top graduating students of the first batch of police ranks who have since benefitted from the course.
The 29 ranks who were released from full-time duties had commenced the course on October 16, 2021, and have since been presented with certificates which are internationally recognised and accepted by the University of London as an entry requirement for their Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme.
The content of the course, along with assessments and grading were examined and evaluated by the ABMA Education which is based in the United Kingdom. The Association of Business Managers and Administrators (ABMA) is an internationally recognised tertiary qualifications body which provides a wide range of programmes. ABMA courses are designed to ensure that the programmes are work related and relevant to the needs of the working environment in which a process of reviews and approval and meticulous moderation of assessments are carried out.
A release from the GPF stated that “during the rigorous six months course, the ranks were exposed to learning, comprising of 624 hours, of which 294 were guided learning and 330 hours of independent study, covering 196 lessons across 261 topics, ranging from understanding the duties of prosecutors to trial advocacy.”
The trained cops can now fully institute legal proceedings before various magistrates in the Magistrate’s Courts throughout Guyana, which will also aid in boosting the Force’s prosecutorial arm throughout the 12 regional police divisions.
Deputy Commissioner Administration (Ag), Calvin Brutus, congratulated the officers on their achievement, and encouraged them to take advantage of the support which will be offered if they are desirous of furthering their LLB studies.
“The force has taken the decision in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs and our Permanent Secretary and of course further up in the hierarchy, to support them in terms of their tuition to go through and pursue that degree… so that they will be developed, they will contribute back to the Force and to the society.”
He also disclosed that the force has since acquired the LexisNexis software which will assist the prosecutors with legal research, where their cases can now be effectively and efficiently presented in the courts.
Brutus exhorted the ranks to pay keen attention to Article 144 (2A) which speaks about equity to both the victim and the suspect and the presumed innocence of one until proven guilty.
“That must be the general position of our prosecutors and doing that now… they will ensure that they present evidence [that] is untainted, that is not fabricated, and they will be fair in the discharge of their duties as prosecutors to ensure that justice is served and justice is done,” asserted the Deputy Commissioner.
Ultimately, the Prosecutor’s Course was a collaborative measure between the Nations University – School of Law, the Guyana Police Force, and the Ministry of Home Affairs, with the aim of enhancing criminal prosecution in the country.
