New prosecutors to be inducted into Police Force

Graduands of the Certificate in Advocacy and Evidence for Summary Courts and Prosecutor’s Course will be trained by the Guyana Police Force and be inducted into the force before commencing their prosecutorial duties.

This was highlighted by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C during a meeting with the first cohort of graduands to explain the mechanism by which interested persons will be inducted into the State’s prosecuting arm.

After being inducted into the force, the graduands will be assigned the rank of Sargent and will undergo training for three months to become acquainted with the rules, regulations and standing orders of the GPF, as well as the practical workings of the Magistrates’ Courts.

“This training will, in part, serve as an orientation for the prosecutors, informing them of pertinent information, including the GPF’s operational protocols, the chain of command, and how they are expected to conduct themselves as ranks of the GPF,” a press release from the Ministry of Legal Affairs noted.

The training is expected to commence on September 15, 2022.

The release noted that while the graduands will be made police officers to execute their prosecutorial duties, they will not be required to carry out any other duty usually required of police officers.

Nandlall told the graduands that once they become prosecutors, will take home approximately $160,000 monthly. With their gross salaries, inclusive of allowances amounting to $220,000.

The sums were arrived at through collaborative efforts between the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Police Force, and the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the release noted.

“We had to strike a delicate balance, being sensitive to the fact that you are within the public sector, and a police force which have prevailing remunerative realities. Therefore, for cohesion, harmony…etc, you cannot be parachuted into such an organisation and be conferred with a remuneration package that can be considered inconsistent with, or offensive to the remunerative regimes existing in the force,” Nandlall is quoted as saying.

The graduands are expected to start receiving their remuneration as soon as they are processed and commence their training, and will continue to receive their remuneration throughout the training period.

The prosecutors will be stationed at the new 12-storey Brickdam Police Station. 

“The DPP will have a new building soon, where adequate facilities will be fixed for you to meet and brief witnesses. You will have a library. And once we can satisfy the demands, you will have assistants who will work on cases during the investigative stages. You will now help to build the cases,” Nandlall said.

The Attorney General said that summary prosecutors who acquit themselves well will benefit from scholarships to pursue their Legal Education Certificates (LEC) at one of the region’s law schools toward becoming full-fledged attorneys-at-law.