Current staff deficiencies in the higher levels of the judiciary will have to be addressed urgently, Attorney General Doodnauth Singh told the National Assembly on Wednesday.
During his presentation as part of the 2007 budget debate, Singh, who is also the legal affairs minister, said he does not appoint magistrates and judges but noted that it was incumbent that the matter should receive immediate attention.
“It is expected that at the end of the year, we may find ourselves with a shortage since two members might demit office and so the matter must be addressed expeditiously,” Singh asserted.
Regarding the Attorney General’s Chambers, Singh said that there were some discrepancies with the salaries of state lawyers as opposed to those employed by agencies like the Guyana Revenue Authority.
To this end, he pointed out that representations have been made for an attempt to find a solution, but if this was not done in a very timely manner, “the chamber will find itself in a great difficulty.”
Meanwhile, Singh pointed out too that the chamber was still functioning without some key personnel – a solicitor general and a deputy solicitor general.
He said three individuals had expressed interest in filling the post of solicitor general when the vacancies were advertised.
But the appointments are out of his hand and while he had made the relevant recommendations and hoped that they would have borne fruit, the positions, he said, will be filled at the discretion of President Bharrat Jagdeo.
However, Singh said that the legislative facility at the chamber had witnessed great improvement over the last year, and it remained grateful to the Commonwealth Secretariat which contributed in a tangible way.
He said the body provided an expert to work with it and that individual had requested an extension on the contract, and they are awaiting approval.
He noted too that the governments of Nigeria and India had also been instrumental in assisting the chambers to execute its mandate and provided experts for the legislative area and the information technology programme.
Additionally three young persons from the chamber are attending a three-year full-time course abroad and upon completion their services will also boost the workings of the chamber.
Justice sector
reform
In his presentation, the attorney general also explained the details of a proposed US$25M programme between government and the Inter-American Development Bank for the modernization of the Justice Administration System.
He said the programme will consist of initial steps to implement the ‘Justice Sector Reform Strategy” which was approved by Cabinet in June 2006.
The objective of the programme, he said, is to enhance the investment climate and rights enforcement in Guyana through improved public sector governance with the proposed implementation of three sub-components funded by an initial
US$10,232,000 investment component, followed by a US$15M policy-based component.
Strengthening the accountability and administrative efficiency of service delivery in the justice sector, enhancing linkages and co-ordination within justice sector institutions and improving access to justice are the targets of the projects, the minister explained.
The reform programme is expected to promote more efficient interaction among all justice institutions, particularly at the co-ordination and operational levels and it will finance activities for the establishment of a justice reform steering committee, which the minister will head.
A technical secretariat will also provide high level guidance and co-ordination for implementation of the justice sector reform strategy (JSRS).
The judicial service commission, Singh said, is also slated for strengthening with the aim of improving governance, recruitment, human resource management and accountability of judges, magistrates and court staff.
Reducing the backlog and raising clearance rates in courts and strengthening court administration, enhancing skills and productivity of judges and magistrates are also selected targets for the reform programme.
Courtrooms and houses are also to receive facelifts and will be equipped and furnished accordingly to facilitate hearings and trials in both civil and criminal matters.
As part of sub-component three which proposes to improve access to justice, the reform programme should also see the expansion of legal aid services, the development of public legal awareness, and support for informal justice.
The proposal document states that the legal affairs ministry has overall responsibility for the programme’s implementation and the minister will represent the government at semi-annual meetings with the Inter-American Development Bank to review the implementation progress and conditions for related disbursements.
It said, too, that the ministry will appoint a steering committee, a consultative group, a technical secretariat and a project executing unit within the ministry while the chief justice will appoint the project executing unit for the judiciary.
According to the document, the overall programme would be supported by the appointment of two policy analysts and after completion it is envisaged that a few members of each of the bodies set up as part of the programme would be absorbed into the ministry as a policy development unit to continue and maintain the momentum of the reforms made under the programme.
