Attorney General Anil Nandlall has indicated his plans to meet with the Guyana Bar Association to address the conduct of lawyers and the need for continuous education in the profession. 

On his weekly “Issues in the News” programme, the Attorney General said he has been receiving multiple complaints from citizens in and out of Guyana about the conduct of lawyers when dealing with their matters.

The AG said with him having no authority to discipline lawyers, he believes the Guyana Bar Association can lend some assistance in that regard.

‘There is nothing I can do when people lodge these complaints, and the complaints are many, I sometimes would call these lawyers to get an update, but outside of that, my powers are very very limited. I think that one way of addressing this issue is continuing education in the legal profession,” Mr. Nandlall said.

Mr. Nandlall said the legal profession is a noble one, and the time has come for some lawyers to be up to speed with what is required of them when dealing with certain matters.

“I dont have, and I keep explaining to people all the time any supervisory over lawyers in the country, I have no disciplinary powers over lawyers in the country, there is a disciplinary authority established under the legal practitioners Act and it functions and it has certain powers to discipline lawyers after hearing complaints and hearing both sides,” the Attorney General said.

Nandlall offered no details on the type of complaints against lawyers that he has been receiving, but he said that with the country’s changing legislative landscape, lawyers must also bring themselves up to speed with all that is taking place around them.

“I believe that the time is right now in Guyana for us to consider the as a serious option, in any event, we are passing too many important laws not to have continuing education and the government is prepared to partner with any profession in particular the legal profession and I believe it will help to raise the standard of the professionalism”, he said.

For years, persons have been complaining about not being properly represented by lawyers in Court and other matters, and others have claimed of being overcharged for various legal services.

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