Guyana modernises legal system with $178M law revision and law reports updated

In a historic step to make the law more accessible, the government of Guyana on Monday officially launched the Revised Laws of Guyana, updated to December 31, 2022, along with law reports covering the period 2008 to 2021.

The move aims to ensure legal clarity, consistency, and fairness, giving judges, lawyers, and the public the tools they need to uphold justice in a rapidly changing society.

Printing of the revised laws was facilitated by the government at a cost of $178 million, producing 200 sets of 19 volumes.

The Law Reports (2008–2021) compile significant decisions from the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Caribbean Court of Justice, providing an essential resource for legal practitioners and judges.

Delivering remarks at the ceremony, Attorney General Anil Nandlall noted that the launch comes at a crucial time for a nation experiencing “exponential growth and transformation.

“The ultimate object of any system of law is to deliver access… No orderly society can exist in the absence of rule of law. The operation of the rule of law is indispensable to any democratic society,” he said.

Repeal provisions have been removed and replaced with new ones, and principal acts reorganized to include amendments.

In his remarks, President Dr. Irfaan Ali underscored that laws must be practical and globally relevant.

“A society without laws cannot endure. Without rules to restrain power, authority becomes unchecked, without legal protection, the weak are left exposed.

“A hidden law is no law, an outdated law is unreliable, and an inconsistently applied law is an unjust law,” Dr Ali said.

He noted that the revised laws are part of a broader legal infrastructure that strengthens judicial reasoning, promotes fairness, and ensures justice is delivered consistently.

“When laws are clear, applied equally, and enforced consistently, it provides a structure within which justice can be delivered. Without that foundation, rights become fragile, power becomes unchecked, and justice becomes uncertain,” President Ali said.

The launch, Dr Ali said reflects the government effort to maintain Guyana as a law-based society, where rules are known, applied and respected, forming the foundation of order, fairness, and justice.