Justice cannot only be about punishment, must include restoration – PM

…as 2nd Hope and Justice Centre opens

In a significant step toward providing comprehensive support for victims of violence and abuse, the Government on Monday inaugurated its second Hope and Justice Centre.

Located in Vergenoegen, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), this state-of-the-art facility reflects a collaborative effort between the Attorney General’s Chambers and Legal Affairs Ministry, and the Human Services and Social Security Ministry.

While the Centre aims to provide a safe haven and transformative resources for victims of family violence, interpersonal abuse, sexual violence, human trafficking, and child abuse, Prime Minister Mark Phillips during the commissioning highlighted that “justice can’t simply be about punishment; it must be about restoration”.
On this point, PM explained that the facility will ensure that victims are not only protected but also empowered to rebuild their lives.
Further, he noted that its services go beyond being a place of refuge but one of transformation, offering victims access to training programs geared toward skills development and providing them with the tools to create new beginnings.
“Hope is more than a warm sentiment; it is active force. It involves emotional support that rebuilds confidence, counselling that mends the mind and services that provide practical relief via temporary shelter, legal aid or access to healthcare. Justice reform therefore must ensure that victims receive help as a recompense for the violence or harm they have endured. It is the least we can do to begin repairing what has been broken”.
“We want every individual who passes through these centers to emerge stronger, more self-reliant and more capable of facing the world, empowerment is the ultimate goal of justice,” PM said.
The Centre also features robust mechanisms to protect victims from perpetrators, ensuring their safety and dignity remain uncompromised.
This initiative forms part of the Government’s broader Support for the Criminal Justice Programme, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Attorney General Anil Nandlall lauded the project as a milestone in bridging gaps in the justice system and addressing the needs of vulnerable groups.
The AG noted that the Centre embodies Government’s vision for a holistic approach to justice and plans to replica its model across the Caribbean is being explored.
“This center is intended to provide a platform and a forum where such a person can go and find a number of services available. You come to this center, there will be a doctor, policeman to take your report, you’re going to have a social worker who will give counselling and administer therapy, you’re going to have a lawyer who will give you legal advice and will help you full up the forms to go to the magistrates’ court. And you will have a place if you don’t have anywhere to go to stay for a few days until the legal steps are taken. And that is why this center is so unique”.
“The IDB is here they are looking at this model to replica it across the region, because Guyana is not insular or singular in the problems we are facing, they are Caribbean problems,” Nandlall said.
The Hope and Justice Centre in Region Three follows the establishment of the first facility at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, which has already impacted numerous lives.
Back in March, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) donated a range of essential tools such as laptops, desktops, audio speakers, and tablets to support the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). (G1)