Latest update January 20th, 2025 4:00 AM
Restorative Justice Units to be established throughout the country – AG
AG Nandlall makes a point on the second day of the Conference on Criminal Justice Reform at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
Kaieteur News – Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall SC announced on Wednesday that restorative justice units will be established throughout the country.
The AG was at the time addressing judges, magistrates and other judicial officers on the second day of the Conference on Criminal Justice Reform at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown. During the session, AG Nandlall underscored the importance of the mechanism in conflict resolution.
He noted that restorative Justice is an alternative approach that seeks to repair harm by providing opportunities for the victim and perpetrator to communicate about and address their needs in the aftermath, in a way that promotes healing, accountability, and understanding.
According to Nandlall, although restorative justice is now being introduced formally into the legal systems of the Caribbean, “forms of dispute resolution mechanism existed within our communities dating back several generations.”
“[They existed] in particular, in our rural communities. In these communities, they were always community leaders, most times the elders, who would mediate disputes and attempt to reconcile differences arising between persons in the communities. For example, in the Indo-Guyanese community, there was the Panchayat system which is a mechanism for the peaceful settlement of disputes, inherited from India.
A similar system existed in the Afro-Guyanese community with elders, religious leaders and community leaders presiding. The same has always obtained in the Amerindian communities with the Toshao or village captain and a council of leaders or councillors playing that role,” the AG pointed out.
He noted that the Government has already taken steps to establish within the criminal justice system, units with Probation Departments located across the country.
The AG explained that the Probation Departments hold a strategic place in the establishment of the restorative justice unit since, the departments fall under the Ministry of Human Services. He explained that the Probation Departments enjoy a functional relationship with the court systems across the country, in particular, the Magistrates’ Court.
“In collaboration with that Ministry, I am in the process of attaching a Restorative Justice Unit within each Probation Department situated across the length and breadth of Guyana…Each Probation Department will also offer restorative justice services. There are striking similarities between restorative justice and the services offered by probation officers. So I hope that there will be great synergy in the delivery of these services,” Nandlall announced.
He continued: “Through our religious leaders and teachers, we plan to introduce forms of restorative justice into the school system… In the hinterland regions of our country, we have trained Toshaos who are the leaders in the Amerindian communities. We have also trained a cadre of trainers who are certified and qualified to continue these training programmes.”
Admittedly however, the AG said there is a need for more public education and public awareness to promote the concept.
“Those manning the legal system must also encourage the process,” Nandlall said.
It is against this backdrop that the Legal Affairs Minister said that a number of training sessions to prepare the system in Guyana to administer and apply restorative justice have been held.
The training targeted judges, magistrates, prosecutors, police officers, prison officers, probation officers and community leaders across all the Regions of Guyana.
In terms of implementation, the AG asserted Guyana is a vast country with the bulk of its population living along the coast. He noted however, a significant portion of the population also reside in far flung communities in our hinterland regions. “Implementing restorative justice across the country is therefore a massive undertaking,” the AG outlined.
- Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall SC, country, established, mechanism, Restorative Justice Units
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