Latest update May 25th, 2026 12:35 AM
UNICEF, Legal Aid Clinic partner for kids
– $3M handed over to support free services
All children are entitled to free legal aid services in Guyana. United Nations
From left: Attorneys at law Jaya Manickchand and Madan Kissoon, UNICEF rep. Dr. Suleiman Braimoh and Director of Children’s Legal Aid Josephine Whitehead
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) publicly partnered with the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic yesterday to enhance the awareness of the availability of legal services to children and their guardians.
In addition to promoting the rights of children, a cheque of three million dollars ($3M) was presented to the Director of Children’s Legal Aid, Josephine Whitehead, by UNICEF Representative for Guyana Dr. Suleiman Braimoh, to support this free service.
In reference to the general public’s awareness of this service granted to children, Dr. Braimoh maintained that, “UNICEF has been committed to providing support to not just in-office or in-court assistance, but as much as possible in outreach.”
Whitehead responded by thanking UNICEF for its support in making it possible for legal aid services to be specifically offered to children for free.
“This support will enable us to expand the services that are provided by children’s legal aid.”
Attorney at Law Jaya Manickchand has been involved with Children’s Legal Aid for several years, according to Whitehead, who also singled out the new full-time addition to the programme, Attorney at Law Madan Kissoon.
Whitehead continued that the programme goes beyond just legal services, using networking to encompass all the needs of children.
Whitehead called on the media to promote the service of free legal aid to children because only a small number of persons are aware of this. This causes fewer persons to benefit from needed representation.
Children’s Legal Aid hopes that the new government will see it fit to enact the drafted Juvenile Justice Bill.
At the moment, 17-year-olds and up are charged as adults whereas Manickchand stressed the importance of increasing the age to 18. She stated that the constitution recognizes an adult as 18, but the Criminal Law Offenders Act does not.
The drafted Juvenile Justice Bill will coincide with the constitution, stating that 18 and under will be considered Juveniles, according to Manickchand.
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