Pandemic forced Guyana’s courts to adopt modern technology – CJ

Though the COVID-19 pandemic came with its challenges, it came with some good, forcing the local courts to adopt modern technology, thereby improving the efficiency of the Judiciary.

When the pandemic hit the shores of Guyana in March 2020, those in the judicial system were tasked with reimagining how to administer justice.
In the past, the judicial system relied almost exclusively on in-person proceedings and paper records to conduct its daily activities.
But on Tuesday it was highlighted that as a result of the pandemic, the Judiciary is now embracing technology in the conduct of its daily business.

At the ceremonial opening of the Demerara Criminal Assizes on Tuesday, Chief Justice Roxane George listed the positives that emulated in the courts as a result of the pandemic.
“The main positive has been the utilisation of technology to support our court operations. We are focused on building out the technological foundation, that will undergird the operations of the supreme court. The pandemic has also allowed us to reassess case management in the wider sense so as to provide a more efficient service.”
“In this regard, our website including an e-filing mechanism and a Facebook page was developed. We have benefited from partnerships with the Government of Guyana, the Governments of the United States of America, Britain, and Canada along with the Juris project UNICEF and the National Centre for States Courts…”, she explained.
She added that the Supreme Court is on a transformational trajectory that will see the rolling out of new courts that are technologically advanced.
“We will also enhance the facilities at the older courts. Going forward, we will have to discuss how we can best continue to utilise virtual hearings because, without a doubt, they are here to stay.”

Expansion
Meanwhile, the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall during his address, said the pandemic did not only force the courts to adapt to technology, but it led to the expansion of several courts across the regions.
Now that the country is returning to normalcy, Nandlall said the courts should never return to the way things used to be.
“A blend of what was obtained before, coupled with a system which we would have implemented should form an integral part of the new normal, to propel the machinery of justice. Virtual courtrooms have the ability to instantaneously transport Judges, Magistrates, and attorneys at law to courtrooms, and when the hearing is over, they are immediately transported back to their home…”.
“We must not abandon it,” he urged.
In an effort to advance access to justice and transform the judicial landscape, the Judiciary recently launched four digital notice boards at the courthouse.
The initiative was the fruition of a partnership between the Judiciary of Guyana and the Canada-funded Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening (JURIST) Project.
The software for the electronic notice boards was developed by a local provider to integrate seamlessly with the new case management system project being developed for the local Judiciary by the National Centre for State Courts, a US-based organisation.
Information is entered into the notice boards daily by the staff of the court which is headed by the Principal Clerk of Court, Sharon Correia.
When the coronavirus struck Guyana in 2020, 14 virtual courtrooms were launched at the Lusignan Prison, East Coast Demerara (ECD), in an effort to minimise the threats of exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) while guaranteeing prisoners their constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial.
The initiative was a collaborative effort between the Executive and Judicial arms of Government and saw a total of 33 such virtual courtrooms being established at all the prisons across the country. (G9)