“Where is the law school?”

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall has observed that government has not made any progress towards the establishment of a local law school – which is scheduled to be opened by 2018.

In January 2017, Attorney General Basil Williams signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the Ministry of Legal Affairs with the University College of the Caribbean (UCC)/ Law School of the Americas (LCA) to conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of a law school here.

The study was slated to commence in September 2017, however, Nandlall continues to argue that Guyanese are being hoodwinked into thinking that such an establishment will come to reality – at least not anytime soon.

“Have you seen in the press, anything to suggest we are having a law school (soon)? … No real evidence is available that there is going to be such an establishment,” he stated during a press conference on Saturday.

Nandlall maintained that he is extremely suspicious of the institution that is supposed to be helping the country with the establishment of its law school. “I never heard of an institution called Law School of the Americas but this person came and represented that organization,” he expressed, referring to the ceremonial signing of the MoU earlier this year.

Nandlall believes that law students are being duped into placing their hopes and aspirations into the establishment of the local law school.

According to reports, the cost per student to attend the J.O.F Haynes Law School of the Americas is dependent on the overall cost of the facility, however, it will be cheaper than other regional facilities.
The school, which is to be named after the very first Coordinator of the law programme, in 1981, Professor J.O.F. (Joseph Oscar Fitzclarence) Haynes will most likely be built in the community of Turkeyen.

The facility is aimed at addressing challenges with limited accommodation that have been faced by local law students, who would want to further their studies at the regional law schools.