Bar Association not in favour of restart of trials at this point

The Guyana Bar Association (GBA) in response to an article published in yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News under the headline `High Court criminal trials set to recommence October 6’ has express-ed the view that given the COVID-19 pandemic, trials should not recommence at this time.

In a release, the GBA listed a number of concerns stating among them that in the Practice Directions and Protocols no provision is made for COVID-19 testing and that the requirement for witnesses to remove their masks to give evidence is in violation of good practices, guidelines of COVID-19 Emergency Measures No. 9.

In an interview on Wednesday, Registrar of the High Court, Sueanna Lovell told Stabroek News that the judiciary was assiduously working towards having criminal trials recommence on October 6th.