Attorney General calls for continuous education for judiciary and police officers
Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, has underscored the pressing need for ongoing education within the judiciary and law enforcement sectors.
Speaking on the Energy Perspectives Podcast, Nandlall highlighted the complexities and evolving nature of modern law, emphasising the importance of continuous learning for judges, magistrates, and police officers.
The Attorney General went on to challenge the long-standing presumption that judges inherently know all aspects of the law, describing it as outdated.
“Judges are presumed to know the law, but that’s a fallacy,” he stated. Like everyone else, he stressed that judges must actively learn and adapt, especially in emerging fields such as oil and gas, cybercrime, artificial intelligence, and electronic transactions.
Illustrating his point, Nandlall provided a simplified example of modern contract execution: “You and I can execute a contract now with one party in New York and the other in Guyana, signing electronically. This raises new legal questions, such as jurisdiction over breaches of such contracts.”
He pointed out that these scenarios, once unthinkable, are now common and present unique legal challenges.
The Attorney General also touched on new legal areas such as personal data law, privacy laws, and tissue transplants, noting that these are uncharted territories for Guyana’s legal system.
“We have never had cases like these, and we don’t have them in our legislation. Judges need to read and understand these new areas.”
Furthermore, he expressed empathy for police officers, who he noted often bear the brunt of enforcing new laws without adequate preparation.
“From the time President Ali signs a law, it comes into force, and the policeman, even in remote areas, has to enforce it. They often haven’t had the chance to read or understand the new laws,” he said.
This situation, he argued, is unfair and impractical, particularly with the introduction of complex regulations like e-ticketing.
To address these challenges, Nandlall called for comprehensive training programmes for all judicial and law enforcement personnel.
“We need to start continuous education as part of the functional responsibilities of judicial officers, police officers, and legal officers,” he asserted.
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