Statement by Attorney General’s Chambers, Ministry of Legal Affairs
Officials of the United States of America National Bar Association on the 17th day of November 2021, met with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, MP, and staff of his Chambers.
The visiting delegation comprised of President of the Association Judge Carlos Moore; Chief Foreign Policy Advisor, Johanna Leblanc JD, LLM; Executive Director Maurice Foster Esq and member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, Rosalyn Henderson-Myers.
The delegation is currently on an official visit to Guyana. During the engagement, the Attorney General provided an overview of the role of the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs.
He indicated that the Chambers represents the Government in Civil Litigation and drafts legislation on behalf of the Government.
He outlined that his role is separate and distinct from the Director of Public Prosecutions and further explained the legal system of Guyana, namely that Guyana is a common law country and that the Constitution is the supreme law which recognises the principle of the separation of powers.
Attorney General Nandlall also informed the visiting team that members of the legal profession in Guyana play an important role in society by ensuring that justice is upheld, adding that his Chambers has a great working relationship with legal professionals in the United States of America, as law students have interned at the Chambers.
The US National Bar Association is in Guyana to establish partnerships with the local Bar Associations, the Attorney General Chambers and the Office of Director of Public Prosecution in order to invest in the development of Guyana.
The visiting team has indicated that they are willing to collaborate in line with the needs of the Guyana Government and are ready to assist with equipping local lawyers in the area of oil and gas expertise.
In this light, the Attorney General suggested that the American Bar Association can facilitate an expert in law reform, coming to Guyana to assist the recently established Law Reform Commission.
Other areas that ABA can partner with Guyana include exchange of interns and legal experts and seminars with local attorneys.
Other areas of discussion centered on electoral reform and the importance of the rule of law. Both teams agreed that respecting the rights of voters is sacrosanct.
