Attempts to “erode legal professional privilege” called out by Bar Association

President of the Guyana Bar Association, Pauline Chase has lamented on “efforts to erode legal professional privilege” for those in the profession, an issue which calls for serious attention.
Chase shared this position during the Association’s Law Week Symposium at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
Commenting on the matter, she stated, “This is not a problem which we face in Guyana alone in isolation. It has affected Bars all across the world, first brought about through the introduction of anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering legislation…And now, etching an expanded space in Guyana through Section 41 of the National Intelligence and Security Agency Bill 2023.”
Chase reiterated that legal professional privilege allows clients the ability to freely share information with their respective lawyer for fair representation and is the ‘bedrock’ of the profession.
“We therefore as a collective, must in preparing for the future, find a way to somehow address this. In whatever era, an efficient system of justice is imperative in a society.”
New developments in the wake of a booming oil industry will bring new frontiers to be addressed in the legal sector, which the Guyana Bar Association must be aptly prepared to handle, she noted.
In her address, it was positioned, “We are witnessing at head-spinning rate, the advancements which come with our new oil and gas exploration. Guyana is touted as being one of the fastest growing economies in the world. With that, comes new challenges and issues which need resolution and therefore, open up new areas of the law. As a Bar, we must be ready to play our integral role in discharging our professional duties in addressing such matters.”

Technological advancements
Inarguably, Chase said there are positive changes to come, especially with technological advancements to effect greater efficiency.
On the same note, she recognised that there are threats which cannot be ignored.
“Artificial Intelligence, for instance, threatens our very existence as a profession. And while many of us have thought that this is not a problem that we would have to face in our lifetimes, the speed of development which technology is taking makes it a real and present-day reality.”
Emphasis was also placed on the need for a sufficient quorum of Judges to dispense justice in a timely manner. Meanwhile, efforts to have a functioning Judicial Service Commission in place was welcomed. (G12)