Syllabus for prosecutor course to be ready soon – Nandlall

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, SC, has revealed that the syllabus for the prosecution course targeting law degree holders and Police prosecutors will be ready soon and they are hoping to have it rolled out in the University of Guyana’s (UG) new academic year.

“That [syllabus] is being designed by a consultant… In fact, I am to receive that syllabus by the end of this month; this weekend, I’m hoping. I’ve already made contact with the University of Guyana and we are trying to see whether we can start that programme in this coming [academic] year,” Nandlall stated.
He explained that this initiative to strengthen the State’s prosecutorial capacity is one of the components of the Support for the Criminal Justice System (SCJS) programme funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), which aims at addressing overcrowding in the prison system.
Speaking at the Mid-Year review of the SCJS programme on Wednesday, the Legal Affairs Minister noted that thus far, more than 80 law degree holders have signalled their interest in becoming State prosecutors during a recent survey.
“They are in Guyana and they are prepared to join this prosecutorial programme… We have made contact already with over 80 such persons in Guyana. When I did a quick mathematical count, it means that we will have at least one of these persons in almost every magistrate’s court across this country. And if we can do that within two to three years from now, that will be a phenomenal achievement,” the Attorney General posited.
Shortly after the PPP/C assumed office in August 2020, Nandlall announced this initiative as part of efforts to strengthen the prosecutorial arm of the State. The course will be a one-year accredited programme implemented by UG with support from SCJS programme.
While Government is targeting these LLB graduates to participate in the prosecutorial training, the Legal Affairs Minister reassured that the current cohort of Police prosecutors will also be included in this training.
“We believe that together, they will make an appreciable difference in the quality of representation the State will receive and the Criminal Bar throughout the country,” he stressed.
For years Police Officers have been prosecuting cases at the level of the magistrates’ courts.
AG Nandlall pointed out that those ranks have done an extraordinarily impressive job given the fact that they went up against some of the most seasoned lawyers in the country without any formal legal training, in most instances.
But the Legal Affairs Minister, nonetheless, contended that this pattern cannot continue.
“We need the State’s interests, if we’re to seriously tackle crime, to be properly and better represented. Justice is not a one-way street. Yes, the accused has rights but the State’s interest, the public interest must be taken into account and that scale of justice must be balanced…,” he stated.
On this note, the Attorney General posited that while efforts continue to improve fair trials for accused persons and enhance fundamental rights and natural justice, similarly, there is need to build the State’s capacity to protect the public’s interest.
Nandlall had previously explained to Guyana Times that upon successful completion of the prosecutorial course, the graduates will be hired as prosecutors and will be working along with the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the various Guyana Police Force Court Superintendent offices.
Meanwhile, the Government has already announced plans to improve the human resource and infrastructural capacity of the DPP’s chambers which is expected to get expanded officer space to house more prosecutors to address the larger caseload over a shorter period. (G8)