Georgetown: Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall said if Guyana is to have an effective justice system, restorative justice must be applied.
The Attorney General was at the time addressing ranks of the Guyana Police Force, (GPF) engaged in a ‘pre-trial detention, custodial sentencing and non-custodial alternative workshop’ on Thursday.
The AG said in Guyana, the justice system is accustomed to the brutal aspects of punishment as prescribed by law. However, he said experts in the field have concluded that such an approach has proven ineffective and are now suggesting a different method.
“Now they are recommending a different approach, a softer approach. An approach that requires a little more engagement and pursuing alternative method of punishment, alternative to imprisonment. Pre-trail detention or alternative to pre-trial detention are all concepts that emerge from the precept from what restorative justice embraces,” the Attorney General stated.
The Attorney General said aside from alternative sentencing, restorative justice goes deeper than just a lighter punishment for the person convicted.
He explained that “it examines the root cause of why the persons went into the criminal justice system in the first place. Because if those underlying factors are still there, and he goes into prison and he goes back to that environment and those underlying factors that precipitated his conflict with the law is still there, there is a likelihood that he will return.”
The workshop, AG Nandlall noted, is a manifestation and demonstration of Government’s commitment to the rule of law, constitutionalism and the criminal justice system.
Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, MP who also delivered remarks said many times when someone appears before the court, they are not first-time offenders. Minister Benn said it is important to understand the underlying causes for the actions of someone when they become part of the criminal justice system.
“I speak of the overall new paradigm we have to undertake and which this activity represents in having a more empathetic, a more respectful engagement with our people,” Minister Benn stated.
Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Clifton Hicken who is performing the duties of Police Commissioner, reminded ranks that they are the first contact a defendant has in the criminal justice system. As such, their partnership with institutions in the criminal justice system is paramount. The workshop, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) saw ranks of the GPF benefitting and falls under the ‘Support for the Criminal Justice System Programme.
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