… so much money spent with nothing to show for it–Williams“…the more than $1.5B spent on the Justice System must be one of the greatest mysteries of all time…so much money spent with nothing to show for it”— Basil WilliamsBy Gary EleazarMember of Parliament Basil Williams, who yesterday made his presentation to the Budget 2012 Debates as the Shadow Legal Affairs Minister, lambasted the administration’s spending of, in excess of $1.5B on the Justice Improvement Programme for which he says there is nothing to show.He also called into question another $500M which has been allocated for the Justice Improvement Programme this year.Williams was speaking on the coming to an end of the four-year Inter American Development Bank supported programme which concludes this year with the final tranche.The Shadow Legal Affairs Minister challenged the Substantive Minister to give account for the more than $1.5B which has already been expended on the programme.“Our justice system is broken and after $2B what is there to show for it?” asked Williams as he challenged Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, to give account for the money spent to improve the Justice System.“Show us what we got for the money,” said Williams even as he challenged the Legal Affairs Minister to strengthen the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecution.Williams told the House that a quality justice system is not a priority of the Government. He spoke of the justice system being beset by shortages, inordinate delays, archaic courtrooms and inadequate facilities among others.He pointed to the budgetary reference to the $2.1B where Dr. Ashni Singh had pointed out that the $2.1B speaks to the precedence in the development agenda for which the government has committed.Williams told the House that the party which he represents intends to alter the trend. “We have to make it right and we intend to make it right.”The Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, fired back at Williams and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) saying that the “essence of the budget debates has been lost.”Nandlall insisted that the 2012 Budget is but a page in the developmental agenda of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) and also has to be seen in the context of what was inherited by the administration.The Legal Affairs Minister said that while a regress into history is not the most welcomed aspect of such a debate it serves to give a better understanding of the context of his presentation.The Minister conceded that while there is a general feeling by the populace that the budget must fix every problem that affects the people, “no budget in the world can boast of that kind of potential.”He said that the current administration has taken some 19 years to reach “where we are and we have made monumental progress,Harrison Barnes Jersey,” said Nandlall even as he advocated patience saying that it, “Will take some time to fix all of the problems… You have to be patient with us as we chart our course.”Speaking directly to the more than $1.5B already spent on the Justice Improvement Programme, Nandlall impressed firstly that the IDB has several safeguards in place to ensure transparency with the money spent but he failed to expand on any of the measures.The Legal Affairs Minister did point out that the legal sector is undergoing massive transformation and “a lot of work has been done and a lot more has to be done.”Nandlall said that the administration has undertaken under the programme, significant psychical transformation of the facilities and drew reference to the new Court at Leonora, the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court which he said is in its final stages of refurbishment.There is also the relocation of the DPP’s Chambers.Nandlall spoke, too, of what he called institutional strengthening programmes. He lauded the improvement to several law related libraries such as the AG ChambersThe Minister also spoke of an initiative that will see laws, regulations and amendments being made available online and with hard copies dating back to 1977 as well as reports dating back to 1932 which will also be made available.He said that these will be available in a matter of a few weeks.“Ours is a vision to create a legal system free of political manipulation,” said Nandlall as he added that the administration will be seeking to ensure that constitutional rights prevail.”This he said even as he lauded that, “Today we have a judiciary free to rule in accordance with the law both for and against the `government.’On the issue of the DPP, Williams said that the chambers “appear to have lost its way…it must regain its focus.”Williams contended that Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack holds a Constitutional Office with security of tenure and as such must exercise her repository powers when it comes to prosecutions.“The DPP must adopt best practice,” Williams challenged.He said that the DPP has the challenge to restore the confidence of the Guyanese people in that office and she must deliver justice.Addressing some of the shortcomings of the Justice System, Williams drew reference to the fact that while the complement of the Judges should be 15, there are only nine.In the current assizes there are 234 criminal trials to be heard before two Judges, a physical impossibility.To this end, Nandlall said that there will be legislation to address the problems that Williams raised.“Our justice system is broken,” Williams said.
