Restorative justice, legal modernisation reshaping Guyana’s courts – AG

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has underscored the importance of restorative justice as a crucial addition to Guyana’s criminal justice system, emphasising its role in fostering efficiency, reducing case backlogs, and strengthening community involvement.
Speaking at a recent judicial event, he described this initiative as part of a broader legal transformation aimed at making justice more accessible and effective for all citizens.
Highlighting the significance of this approach, Nandlall explained, “Tomorrow (Saturday), I’ll be meeting with leaders of the community here again in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) and leaders from as far as the Moruca sub-district, to engage them in a training session on restorative justice, another new important dimension which we have added formally to our criminal justice system, with the intent of bringing speed and efficiency to the system, and also with the intention of involving the community in the justice system.”
Restorative justice represents a shift away from traditional punitive methods toward rehabilitation, reconciliation, and conflict resolution.

The AG pointed out that this system is designed to ensure that victims, offenders, and community members have a more direct and meaningful role in resolving disputes, particularly for lesser offences, where alternative measures can be more effective than lengthy court trials.
By emphasising mediation and structured dialogue, restorative justice seeks to reduce the burden on the judicial system while delivering fair and timely resolutions.
Beyond the introduction of restorative justice, Nandlall highlighted the Government’s ongoing efforts to decentralise legal services, ensuring that those in rural and hinterland regions no longer have to undertake costly and time-consuming travel to Georgetown or other urban centres.
“All the services that are available in Georgetown and in the other regions of our country are also available to you in this region,” he affirmed, stressing that access to justice should not be determined by geography.
He pointed to the recent establishment of a Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority branch in Mabaruma, bringing essential services such as business registrations, land transactions, and other legal matters directly to the people of Region One.
“Late last year, we launched a Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority here, a branch where the residents of Region One, in particular, this sub-district, can access all the services that that agency offers in Georgetown, right here in their community. And we have opened another branch in the Port Kaituma sub-district as well.”
Nandlall also spoke about the increasing use of technology in the judicial system, noting that virtual hearings are now a reality in courts across the country.
Further strengthening the legal system, the AG pointed to recent legislative advancements aimed at increasing efficiency. He highlighted plea bargaining and paper committals as two major initiatives, designed to speed up legal proceedings and reduce the heavy caseload that has long burdened the courts.
Nandlall emphasised that these advancements are not happening in isolation but are part of a wider regional effort to reform justice systems across the Caribbean. He noted that CARICOM Governments recently met in Barbados, where crime and criminal justice system reforms were high on the agenda.
He stressed that Guyana must continue to adapt and modernise its legal framework, to keep pace with these developments, explaining, “As I speak, our Governments of the CARICOM region are meeting in Barbados, and high on the agenda is the issue of crime and the criminal justice system in the region, and we have to ensure that we keep pace with the developments taking place.”
He said Government remains focused on investing in legal infrastructure, improving the efficiency of the judiciary, and expanding access to justice for all citizens.
“From every conceivable perspective, our Government has been working diligently in partnership with the judiciary to deliver to the people of Guyana a quality justice system and a justice system that our people deserve,” he said.