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Nations University supports move for local law school
The Nations University is looking forward to the establishment of the JOF Haynes Law School, since the university also produces its sizeable share of law degree graduates.
The University currently offers a tutorial support programme for the University of London’s (UOL) Law Degree or LLB (Literally Legum Baccalaureus) through its Georgetown campus.
Head of the University of London’s Law Programme, Simon Askey who is here on a courtesy visit, said the UOL degree is also offered in Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.
He said that some of the students who graduate tend to go the United Kingdom or United States of America simply because there are no provisions locally to accommodate them.
However, he said that the JOF Haynes Law School will extend the possibility of graduates from the law programme. Askey said that the University College of the Caribbean (UCC), one of the private partners involved in the opening of the law school, also offers the UOL law degree in Jamaica.
Askey is scheduled to meet with Attorney-General Basil Williams to discuss the collaborative agreement, and to ensure that students who graduate with the London degree would have access to the law school along with those graduates from the University of Guyana.
Head, University of London Law Programme Simon Askey, flanked by Directors of Nations University
He said that such access should not be a problem, particularly since UCC is one of the UOL’s teaching institutions. He added that it is possible that graduates from the UOL programme attending the JOF Haynes Law School may be able to practise in the UK.
“There are two legal professions in England; there are different legal systems in England than in Scotland. So in England and Wales, you can either be a Barrister or Solicitor. So if that student has our degree, they can come to the UK and do the equivalent of your LEC
(Legal Education Certificate), which is called the BPTC (Bar Professional Training Course) and the LPC (Legal Practise Course). So yes, the degree will allow them to do that.”
Additionally, Askey said that the degree will allow graduates to practise in certain American States. He said that presently, the UOL has about 600 students in the US pursuing the degree. While it is not the most straightforward path, it offers students a route they would not have, since studying law in the US is extremely expensive.
Further, he said that qualified attorneys in Guyana wishing to practise in the UK can easily do the Qualified Lawyer Transfer test (QLT).
On the issue of performance, Askey said that the Guyanese students pursuing the UOL degree have been doing extremely well over the years. He credited this to the dynamism of the Head of Law at Nations University, Ashme Singh. According to him, her success in managing the programme would be as a result of her actually being a product of the system.
Meanwhile, Director of School of the Nations, Brian O’Toole said that the law school comes at a time when Guyana is on the crest of tremendous development. He added that some of the recent coverage in the media concerning the school has been relatively negative labelling the JOF Haynes Law School as a threat to the LLB programme.
After following the issue very closely, O’Toole said that it seems to be misinformed, since Nations University is one of the major players in the entire arrangement. He said that at Nations, there are 55 students enrolled in the UOL programme who stand to benefit from this intervention.
He said that the relationship with the UOL started 10 years ago and has incredibly blossomed. To further expand the law programme offered by the Nations University, O’Toole said that the tutorial support in Georgetown will soon be offered at their Stanleytown, New Amsterdam campus soon.
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