Judicial delays undermine anti-corruption efforts – Minister warns

…says unresolved court cases limit Guyana’s ability to complete anti-corruption cycle

While highlighting progress on prevention and oversight, Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira warned that delays in the judicial system remain a major obstacle to fully enforcing anti-corruption laws and preserving public confidence.
Speaking at the Anti-Corruption Roundtable Discussion on Tuesday, Teixeira said enforcement depends on the courts delivering timely outcomes.
She noted that many corruption matters remain tied up in the judiciary and that this affects Guyana’s accountability narrative at international reviews.
“We are asked, ‘You reported on these issues three years ago. What has happened?’ And we can only say, ‘They’re before the courts.’ They’re before the courts because we have to also, at the international level, protect our courts.”
Teixeira acknowledged the need to balance judicial independence and international scrutiny while stressing efficiency.
“We can’t go on a lambasting of our courts at the international level. But at the same time, we have to be more efficient in how we do things and be able to make sure that justice is timely and efficient.
She placed the courts as the final, critical step in the anti-corruption continuum.
“If we’re going to deal with the continuum of anti-corruption, prevention, reduction, enforcement, and investigation, enforcement, then we have to deal with the last leg of it. And that is the issue of how these matters are addressed in the courts of Guyana.”
The Minister said timely adjudication is needed so Guyana can show progress to bodies such as the United Nations (UN) and the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption.
“We have signed the UN Convention Against Corruption in 2008, and we’ve just finished our second assessment in 2024 and 2025 this year and are awaiting the final executive summary.”
Teixeira urged that prosecutorial, investigative, and judicial capacity be strengthened as part of the country’s next steps.
“Two of the areas we’ve signalled, two in our reports to the UN and the MSC, has been requesting support in the prosecutorial, investigative, and judicial areas.”
She noted that enforcement must match the pace of prevention and oversight.
“For every corrupt act, for example contracts, means that money that should have been used for quality buildings, quality roads is syphoned off… So, the issue of oversight and ensuring that we’re able to reduce opportunities is important.”
“Justice must be timely and efficient.”