Justice system must deter crime, be more accountable on gender-based violence – Manickchand

Education Minister Priya Manickchand has issued a strong call for Guyana’s justice system to become more accountable and effective in tackling gender-based violence, stressing that the system must serve both as a deterrent to offenders and a source of protection for victims.
The Minister, who was a guest on the Starting Point Podcast on Monday, underscored the urgent need for swifter trials, tougher deterrents and a justice system that reflects intolerance for abuse in all its forms.
“We have to move to speedier trials and a more accountable system. No Magistrate should feel comfortable adjourning a matter repeatedly, because every time you do that, you make a woman unsafe. Deal with this matter expeditiously and make the orders that you are allowed to make without hesitation,” Manickchand said.
The Minister noted that women often face repeated abuse before they ever make an official complaint, emphasising why delays in the courts are especially dangerous. Manickchand further expressed frustration that some judicial officers still fail to act with urgency, despite years of knowledge and training on domestic violence. “These things are so old now that it irritates me when I see people not being cognisant of them,” she remarked.
She also raised alarm about evolving forms of gender-based violence, particularly the use of social media to harm women after relationships end.
“We have a developing trend where people use media to hurt women by exposing nude pictures—whether those were given voluntarily or acquired otherwise. I’ve seen courts dragging their feet on how quickly those cases should be addressed. You shouldn’t drag your feet on that,” she said, stressing that the justice system must move with urgency. On that note Manickchand argued that society as a whole must demonstrate zero tolerance for such actions. “If any part of the system—whether it be Magistrates, police, or the courts—slows down, that delay gives offenders room to repeat their actions and sends a message to others that they can do the same without consequence. That must not be allowed,” she said.
She pointed out that one of the most powerful tools to stop offenders is the fear of consequences. “Why don’t we walk around killing people? Because we don’t want to be in jail. We don’t want to be sentenced to death. We don’t want to invoke the iron scorn of our fellow citizens. The justice system has to present itself in a way that deters people who might want to offend or reoffend, as well as those looking on,” Manickchand explained.
While pushing for stronger accountability, she acknowledged the complexities of domestic violence, particularly when emotions and love are intertwined with abuse. She reminded that the challenge is not unique to Guyana, while pointing out that there have been noticeable improvements over the years, particularly with how law enforcement handles reports of abuse.
She credited former Minister Clement Rohee for instituting a policy ensuring that every complaint must reach the courts, preventing cases from being dropped at the police station level. The Minister stressed that gender-based violence cannot be solved by the courts alone, but requires a whole-of-society approach that combines legal accountability, cultural change, and education.
“As a country we have to determine that we do not want these acts in our society. We must all speak up, implement laws and hold the system accountable. It is only then that victims can truly be protected and offenders will think twice before committing these crimes,” Manickchand said. Even as Manickchand made the call for stricter laws to be implemented for gender-based violence, a tragedy struck in Georgetown. 36-year-old Atiya Solomon, an employee of ExxonMobil Guyana, was shot and killed by her husband Alroy Solomon, who then died by suicide. He also shot his son in his chest. The child was rushed to a city hospital where he remains a patient.