Canadian study recommends establishment of law school in Guyana

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DPI, GUYANA, Tuesday, April 10, 2018

The establishment of the much-anticipated Joseph Haynes Law School is closer to becoming a reality here, as a recommendation coming out of a study into legal education in the Caribbean has proposed such.

The study funded by the Canadian Government was executed by Impact Justice, and it recommended that law schools be established in Antigua, Guyana, and Jamaica.

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams S.C, said Guyana is now ready to establish its own legal institution.

“We really need a law school in Guyana and against the backdrop that the tuition fees have increased this year at Hugh Wooding and is now well over TT$97,000, which amounts to some G $3M. You still have to live and exist in Trinidad.”

The Attorney General said more than ever before, Guyana will need lawyers.

“We will need lawyers to deal with oil and gas, we will need lawyers to deal with the green state and economy. So, we have a lot of capacity to build in this arena.”

The Government of Guyana is hoping to complete its definitive shareholder’s agreement and business plan by the end of this month. The plan will also see a feasibility study being carried out.

Upon completion, the government will take its case to the Council for Legal Education (CLE) for examination.

The high tuition fees attached to attending the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS), is among the driving factors behind Guyana’s push for its own law school.

Currently, the HWLS facilitates only 25 students from Guyana, a very small turnover of lawyers compared to Trinidad and Jamaica.

Last month, the Attorney General had said that plans were in place to establish the institution, with a building plan and design already proposed by key stakeholders. The 50,000 square feet facility is set to cost some US $6M.

The University of Guyana (UG) has already set aside a 10-acre plot of land to build the school.

 

By: Alexis Rodney