Modern laws key to justice, Guyana’s booming future

Mar 24, 2026 News

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…Nandlall says as government launches $178M  revised law reports

(Kaieteur News) – Attorney General Anil Nandlall on Monday declared that accessible, modernised laws are not a luxury but a necessity for Guyana’s rapid transformation, as Government officially launched the revised Laws of Guyana 2022 and the Law Reports spanning 2008 to 2021.

Delivering a sweeping address that traced over two centuries of legal development, Nandlall said the initiative comes at a “pivotal time” when Guyana is experiencing unprecedented economic expansion driven by oil production and infrastructure growth. He warned, however, that without a strong legal framework, such progress could falter. “Without the rule of law, there can be no economic progress, no social advancement, and no democratic governance,” he stressed, underscoring that access to updated laws is the “sine qua non” for justice and national development.

Citing projections of double-digit economic growth, the Attorney General argued that Guyana’s legal architecture must keep pace with its fast-evolving economy. He described legislation as the mechanism through which governments translate policies into enforceable action, while also being held accountable by citizens. “These laws are enacted by the people’s representatives for the people’s benefit,” he said, adding that they must reflect national values and aspirations.

Nandlall placed heavy emphasis on access to justice, warning that citizens cannot enforce rights or challenge wrongdoing if laws are outdated, scattered, or inaccessible. “Access to justice is a basic principle of the rule of law,” he noted, pointing out that the absence of accessible legal systems silences citizens and weakens democracy. The new project, he explained, consolidates statute law and judicial decisions—bringing together legislation and court interpretations in a coherent, user-friendly format. In a detailed historical overview, Nandlall revealed that Guyana’s legal system has long struggled with disorganisation.

From handwritten laws in Berbice to scattered publications in the 1800s, and incomplete official revisions, the country’s legal records were often difficult to access. He noted that even early efforts in the 19th century failed to produce a complete, systematic body of laws, leaving citizens and practitioners grappling with fragmented information. “An obligation rests on the State to present its laws in a form that is convenient and accessible,” he said, echoing a position advanced as far back as 1890.

Meanwhile, Nandlall said the reports is the culmination of a project that will allow easy access to two primary sources of law: first, statute law (legislation) and its interpretation and application by the judiciary and, secondly, judge-made law. He continued “the law revision component of the project involves the consolidation as well as the revision of all current legislation. This is a process of combining the legislative provisions on a single topic into one coherent enactment.”

As part of the process, Nandlall stated that the repealed provisions are removed and replaced with the new ones and principal Acts are reorganised. “This process also includes the changing of language of enactments so as to bring them in line with current usage, without making any change to the substance of the enactments, as well as, incorporating into principal Acts new or amended subsidiary legislation.”

The Attorney General (AG) explained that Guyana’s legal system is primarily based on the common law of England which has the doctrine of precedent as one of its cardinal principles. He continued that “this doctrine is captured in the Latin maxim: stare decisis et non quieta movere, which means standing by decisions and not disturbing settled points, often simply translated as ‘let the decision stand’.

“The principle of stare decisis (to stand by things decided) requires courts to follow the precedents established in previous judicial decisions when ruling on similar cases. The principle promotes consistency and predictability in the law.”

The doctrine of precedent, or stare decisis, dictates that courts lower in the hierarchy are bound by the previous decisions, or precedents, of the courts above them, when the facts of the cases are sufficiently similar. The ratio decidendi or reason for the decision forms the binding precedent of a judge’s decision, for future judges to follow.”

Apart from its usefulness from the standpoint of precedent, the AG noted that law reporting contributes to development of a country’s jurisprudence. Where there is no proper law-reporting system, a country’s jurisprudence becomes stagnant. This stymies judges, legal practitioners and law students in their academic, research and other pursuits, he said, adding that it also stifles the growth and development of the law, which in turn negatively impacts economic and social progress in any society.

The last sets of reports are the 2012 Edition of the Laws of Guyana that was published in 2014.  Those reports known as the “purple volumes” was financed through a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under the Modernisation of Justice Administration System Project.

Nandlall said in October 2024, a decision was made to add to the project subsidiary legislation. To this end, he said the subsidiary legislation made under the selected revised and consolidated laws became subject to the law revision process. Approximately 325 pieces of subsidiary legislation were revised. Funding for this portion was provided by the Government of Guyana at a cost of US$130,000. “Printing of the revised Laws of Guyana was financed by the Government of Guyana at a cost of GY$178,640,000. The law revision process involved the Staff of the Attorney General’s Chambers providing the electronic files of the last Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana and the Gazette publications of the Laws of Guyana for the revision period,” he said.

Investor confidence

Meanwhile, in his address, President Irfaan Ali said Guyana’s rapid economic transformation is placing new demands on its legal system, warning that access to justice and investor confidence depend on laws that are modern, clear and easily accessible.

Speaking about the launch’s importance, President Ali stated that when laws are disorganised, old, or hard to find, it puts a strain on the legal system. Lawyers experience uncertainty, judges struggle to make decisions, and citizens are confused about their rights and responsibilities. “When laws are consolidated, confusion is reduced. When confusion is reduced, disputes are minimised. When disputes are minimised, justice is strengthened,” the president underscored.

In addition to statutory reform, President Ali highlighted that the publication of law reports is critical to ensuring consistency in judicial decisions. These reports preserve legal reasoning and guide future cases, reinforcing the doctrine of precedent. “A judgment unrecorded is a lesson lost…and when precedent is uncertain, justice becomes unpredictable,” the president said.

Looking ahead, President Ali signalled a shift toward greater digitisation of legal resources, including more interactive and technology-driven platforms to improve public access to laws. He also emphasised the need for continuous updating of legislation, warning that delays in reflecting legal changes can create uncertainty and undermine effectiveness amid Guyana’s evolving economic landscape. “Investors do not invest in uncertainty; they invest in clarity; they invest in predictability; they invest in the law. Confidence in the economy begins with confidence in the law,” the president stated.

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• Anil Nandlall, Guyana’s law, justice, revised law reports

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