Feasibility study, business plan for JOF Haynes Law school submitted to CLE

─ establishment of law school important at this juncture of Guyana’s development – AG Williams

─ final Report on Survey of Legal Education in CARICOM Member States recommends establishment of law school in Guyana, Antigua

─ training necessary as Guyana prepares for petroleum production  

DPI, Guyana, Monday, September 3, 2018

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams SC., today clarified that permission was granted for the establishment of the JOF Haynes Law School in Guyana.

AG Williams informed that a feasibility study and business plan have been submitted to the Council of Legal Education (CLE) for review. The Attorney General along with the local committee will be meeting with the Joint Venture team tomorrow September 4 for discussions in this regard.

He highlighted the importance of the law school and reinforced the need for training of lawyers, at a time when Guyana is on the verge of transformation with petroleum production to commence in 2020.

“We obviously have to be able to train lawyers in this area, we have to get ownership of the industry and the sector, we have gas too and we also have a Green State [Development] Strategy dealing with the environment. So, these are all new areas that we have to train lawyers,” the AG stated.

AG Williams referred to the many “horror stories” of Guyanese law students in Trinidad, pointing to the high tuition fees, as much as $3Million annually.

The establishment of the school in Guyana, he noted, will significantly reduce these and other costs for the students.

The AG pointed out that Article One Paragraph 3 (b) of the Agreement establishing the CLE, empowers the Council to establish, equip and maintain law schools.

The February 2018 Final Report on Survey of Legal Education in the CARICOM Member States commissioned by the Heads of Government, AG Williams said, also recommends that Guyana and Antigua establish law schools.

Construction is proposed following affirmation by the CLE. Ten acres of land at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus have been allocated and funding of $6M US is being provided by the Joint Venture partners for construction.

On January 11, 2017, the Attorney General signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of the Caribbean (UCC) and Law College of the Americas (LCA) for the establishment of the JOF Haynes law school in Guyana.

By: Stacy Carmichael.

Image: Department of Public Information.