Delays, weak professional standards and outdated systems can no longer be tolerated.
That was the unmistakable message from Guyana’s top judicial leaders as the opening of the Law Year 2026 set the tone for a sweeping culture shift across the justice system.
Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Roxane George and Chief Justice (ag), Justice Navindra Singh, both warned that while progress has been made, the courts can no longer accept inefficiency, professional complacency or structural inertia as normal.
Addressing a ceremonial sitting of the Full Bench on Tuesday, Justice George said the judiciary is now moving beyond a focus on physical infrastructure to a deeper transformation centred on performance, data and public trust.
She outlined the Judiciary’s Strategic Plan 2024–2031, which is anchored in service excellence through investments in human resources, management systems and technology. As part of that process, Guyana’s courts recently completed a self-assessment under the International Framework for Court Excellence, placing the system in Band Three out of five.
While that ranking reflects alignment with principles of good governance, the Chancellor said it also exposes inconsistencies in operations and service delivery that must now be addressed system-wide.
Over the past several years, the judiciary has expanded court infrastructure nationwide, including a dual-courtroom Court of Appeal, High Courts in all three counties, specialised land courts and 55 magistrates’ courts across 11 magisterial districts. New magistrates’ courts are also under construction in multiple regions.
But Justice George stressed that buildings alone cannot deliver justice.
“The next phase of transformation requires performance to be measured, improvement to be continuous, and public trust to be deepened,” she said.
A central pillar of that transformation is digitalisation. Indigenous e-filing and electronic case management systems are being developed for magistrates’ courts, building on paperless systems already operational in the High Court and Court of Appeal. The long-term goal is seamless electronic transfer of records from magistrates’ courts through to the Caribbean Court of Justice.
The Chancellor also highlighted severe pressure at the lower courts. Magistrates’ courts, which handle about 90 per cent of criminal matters, recorded approximately 30,000 criminal cases in 2025. Staffing shortages—particularly among clerical and administrative staff—remain a major contributor to delays, especially in inquests and preparation of appeal records.
A comprehensive review of the magistracy and a full human resources audit, supported by Global Affairs Canada, are now underway to determine staffing needs, workloads, compensation and organisational reform.
At the appellate level, Justice George acknowledged a backlog of roughly 2,000 cases at the Court of Appeal, largely caused by years of insufficient judges. With new justices appointed in 2025, she said a structured case-management system is being rolled out to clear the backlog while preventing its return.
Legislative reform is also firmly on the agenda. The Chancellor identified the need to modernise laws to allow digital recording of evidence, update appellate procedures, reform family law processes, review jury trials and amend outdated court administration requirements. She also backed calls for stronger regulation of attorneys, including amendments to the Legal Practitioners Act to require annual registration tied to mandatory continuing legal education.
Acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh reinforced that message, describing delay as one of the most corrosive threats to public confidence in the rule of law.
While noting improvements—particularly in criminal courts—he warned that delay cannot be accepted as inevitable, especially in civil matters.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said, stressing that active case management will define the 2026 law year.
Adjournments, he warned, must be granted only for good cause, statutory timelines must be respected, and discretion must be exercised to advance—not frustrate—the fair disposal of cases.
Justice Singh was clear that responsibility does not rest with judges alone.
“The courts are not run by judges alone,” he said, urging the Bar to meet its obligations through preparation, professionalism and adherence to procedure.
He issued direct appeals to all justice-sector actors: prosecutors must pursue justice rather than convictions; defence attorneys must balance vigorous advocacy with ethical restraint; investigators must ensure lawful, thorough and credible investigations; and prison officers must be supported in their demanding role.
Public confidence, he said, depends not only on judicial independence but on transparency, accountability and reasoned, timely judgments that litigants can understand.
Both judicial leaders agreed that behind every case file is a human life affected by delay, inefficiency or poor standards.
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