Gov’t retains Lawyer for Officers at Prison COI

Civil and Human Rights Lawyer, Selwyn Pieters will be representing officers of the Guyana Police Force and Prison Services during the Commission of Inquiry into the March 03 unrest and fire at the Camp Street Prison, which left 17 prisoners dead and others injured.

His application was accepted by the Chair of the Commission Justice (retired) James Patterson on Tuesday (March 15) morning, as the fourth inmate took the stand.

“Unless the Guyana Prison Service or Guyana Police Service state that a particular member has not been identified to testify…that member would have to have separate Counsel aside of the Counsel retained” Pieters said, in reply to the Chairman’s question about Officers wanting to give evidence on their own.

“We (Government) want to get to the truth of what occurred” Pieters told members of the local media just after the morning session.

He said “the government have the prerogative to choose who their legal counsel is…and who they have confidence in to represent the interest of the State and State bodies”

Pieters is no stranger to Guyana’s shore even though he mainly practices law in Canada and Trinidad & Tobago. He brings to the table a wealth of knowledge in laws such as Education, Criminal, Human Rights, Police, Administrative, Constitutional, and Civil litigation.

Back in 2012, he was co-counsel for deceased families at the Linden Commission of Inquiry. He also served as the counsel for the Guyana Trades Union Congress and the People’s National Congress during the Rodney Commission of Inquiry last year.