Dear Editor,
I shall be thankful if you publish this letter in the columns of your esteemed newspaper. Through this, I like to draw to the attention of the Ministry of Legal Affairs on the state of the Mahaica Magistrates’ Court. The sitting Magistrate needs to uphold her duty of serving this nation, rather than absent herself from proceedings for several sittings of the court. The Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Supreme Court should hire competent persons who can serve in these positions without excuses and people who will not be away for over a month from court duty.
For the third time, many cases called are put off due to the magistrate reporting sick, and then weeks are given to complete these cases by the setting of new dates. The country is benefitting from many funding to strengthen and reform the justice systems for the betterment of the population and Guyana, but what we are getting is an injustice. Can you imagine people going to Court, two to three times, only to be told that the magistrate is not here today, please come back another day.
If a magistrate is sick for two to three weeks can the Court get another magistrate to temporarily fill the gap or can the legal bodies, both Ministry and Court, merge the two courts and have two sitting magistrates, so if one is sick another can handle matters? It is frustrating that people must travel from as far as Grass Hook, Mahaica Creek, to the court and be disappointed. Money has to be spent to travel and be there for simple civil matters and the court is just unconcerned.
Sincerely,
Vickar M. Hussian
