The need for law school in Guyana amplified - UGLS

The need for law school in Guyana amplified – UGLS

Dec 28, 2014 News

The need for the establishment of a law school in Guyana has been amplified given that there is some uncertainty surrounding the decision of the Council of Legal Education, (CLE) over the entry of Guyanese students into the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) in Trinidad and Tobago.
Earlier this year the CLE took a decision to deny automatic entry to 25 Guyanese students from the faculty of Law at the University of Guyana (UG) into the Hugh Wooding Law School.
The CLE based this decision on the fact that the HWLS is overcrowded and that the number of UWI graduates exceeds the capacity of the school to accommodate them.
UG’s top 25 performing law graduates were later guaranteed places at HWLS but the situation left many of those aspiring to be lawyers with some amount of uncertainty surrounding their future since arrangement between UG, the Legal Education Council (LEC), Hugh Wooding Law School seems to be moving to a year by year negotiation system.
In this regard, at a symposium held by Moot Court Guyana (MCG) last June, it was stated that the government is keen on establishing a local law school provided that it is done under the auspices of the Council of Legal Education (CLE) so that it will be a regional initiative ensuring that “Guyanese alone will not come here.”
However, to this date University of Guyana Law Society (UGLS) has not heard of any moves taken by the government on the issue.
In a recent correspondence, UGLS Secretary, Arianna Beharry, noted that the stress and anxiety that the students-at law currently face by not knowing the position of furthering their legal education, takes a toll on them. It must be an issue on the top of the agenda of the Ministry of Legal Affairs.
According to Beharry, Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has vowed to listen to UGLS concerns on a date yet to be announced.
The student body is hopeful that this is done before the date of Registration to Hugh Wooding but as it stands, the student society has not been made aware of any updates regarding the position of the top 25.
“We understand that the decision does not stand solely in the hands of the Ministry; the Legal Education Council (LEC) committee is to make the final decision. We wouldn’t want a situation where students are made to wait until the last possible moment to know where they stand,” Beharry explained.
She added that until now UGLS is unsure if all students seeking entry are required to write the entrance examination. It has become a situation of frustration since short term solutions are not the answer.
Beharry believes that the students require a more detailed system where they can automatically regain top 25 acceptance.
At the interim, Beharry says that a local law school should remain the answer to the problem. She said that the time is now for the establishment of a local law school.
“We need an LEC in Guyana and the government is the only body that can answer our questions. There are major benefits for the students; lower tuition costs, more Guyanese students being able to have an LEC due to accessibility and affording costs, among others.”
It was also noted that in hope of a long term solution being made available to all students at law. Beharry said that the UGLS has remained in contact with the AG and other legal persons and have continued to remind them about how important the issue is and benefits of establishing a local law school.
Legal education reform advocate Sherod Duncan held that the need for the establishment of a local law institute. Duncan alluded to a report on the Development of Legal Education and the Practice of Law in the Caribbean Community.
In reference to the commentary from Trinidad and Tobago, he noted, “It was anticipated that the number of places available at the Law Schools must be increased to keep pace with the inevitable growth in demand.”
He held that the CLE was created “to undertake and discharge general responsibility for the practical professional training of persons seeking to become members of the legal profession.”
Duncan maintains that the duty of the CLE under the agreement to provide practical professional training for all qualified persons seeking to become members of the legal profession and not to restrict qualified law students from obtaining professional training and thus denying the students their inherent right to pursue the career of their choice.

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