The 38th Caribbean Association of Law Libraries (CARALL) Conference opened yesterday morning in Guyana after 36 years, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI).
Recognising research as a main tenet of the legal profession, the conference brings together information professionals, and delegates from courts, government ministries, parliaments, academic institutions, law firms, and libraries across the region.
The opening ceremony which was held at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown saw the attendance of several prominent officials including Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, and Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack.
Senior Legal Advisor at the Attorney General’s Chambers, Chevy Devonish delivered the feature address, noting that legal research equips professionals with the skills needed to use legal tools in a manner that shapes society.
According to DPI, the senior legal advisor said it is important that libraries access and leverage technology and digital resources to allow a vast array of resources to be more accessible.
“I do think that governments need to play a bigger role in providing law libraries [and] the resources they need to contribute to this very important work. But I think that libraries can also engage in other activities, such as collaborating with other libraries and other jurisdictions to see how they can work on arrangements, or perhaps provide resources that another library may offer, a law that another library does not have,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Cummings-Edwards echoed similar sentiments, emphasising the need for continuous improvement of legal research while acknowledging the rich contributions of librarians in this important field, DPI said.
