CLE, Attorney General to discuss feasibility study of Law School

The Council of Legal Education (CLE) has made “some comments” about a feasibility study and business plan submitted by the Guyana Government for the establishment of the J.O.F. Haynes Law School.

The project has been mired in much controversy since it was announced by Attorney General, Basil Williams and Jamaican Joint Venture Partners in January 2017.

“Apparently the CLE has some initial comments, they’ve raised some comments on the feasibility study and the business plan,” Williams told a news conference Monday.

The Attorney General, along with the Joint Venture Partners and the CLE will be meeting Tuesday at 10:00hrs at the Attorney General Chambers to discuss those “comments” ahead of the major Executive Meeting of the CLE from September 6 – 8, 2018.

According to the Attorney General, the establishment of the local law school will be high on the agenda at the two-day meeting which will be held at the Marriott Hotel.

Mandated by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the CLE presides over post graduate education in the field of law in Commonwealth Caribbean countries.

There was a contention by the CLE Chairman, Reginald Armour that permission was never granted for a law school to be established in Guyana but the Attorney General had accused him of deliberately “frustrating” the process.

Reiterating the struggles and limitations of Guyanese students pursuing law, Williams said the country cannot afford to have a shortage of lawyers especially in the field of oil, gas and energy.

Guyana is only allowed 25 students to enter the law programme at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago as opposed to the twin-island republic and Jamaica which are churning out approximately 200 students per year.

The University of Guyana has already approved some 10 acres of land at its Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown Campus to house the institution, which the Attorney General says will be constructed as soon as permission is obtained from the CLE.

Meanwhile, the CLE Executive Council Meeting will see the attendance of the Heads of the Judiciaries, Attorneys-General, and Heads of Bar Associations of CARICOM countries.

President David Granger will be delivering the feature address at the event’s opening ceremony.