$195 Million approved for justice reform programme

DPI, GUYANA, Monday, December 10, 2018

The Ministry of Legal Affairs was able to have $195Million approved for the institutional strengthening of its Justice Reform Programme.

Under the capital expenditure, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams SC told the Committee of Supply that the programme entails six components. These include alternative sentencing, which will see $26.5Million being allotted for the recruitment of two attorneys at law and four paralegals.

The Ministry will also undertake the strengthening of probation services, which will see the implementation of a probation development action plan. $19.3Million has been allocated for this programme.

$20.8Million has also been assigned to capacity development of probation officers countrywide. The Attorney General said the officers will have to have the various specialties to deal with all clients in the penal system.

The AG said the Ministry is also undertaking the design and implementation of a restorative justice programme which has been allocated some $10.4Million. The funds will be used to develop and execute a training programme targeting some 1200 officers of the judiciary, magistracy, police prosecutors and other stakeholders about the practices of restorative justice in Guyana.

There will also be the implementation of a case management system which will be used to connect all the relevant agencies involved in matters of the court system. The system $45.7Million has been allocated to this programme.

The justice sector programme will be facilitated by the Ministry of Legal Affairs. There is a project manager that is operating from an office in Hadfield street.

Alexis Rodney.

Image: Keno George.