Dear Editor,
In his remarks at the Opening of the Law Year 2026, the President of the Bar Association, Mr Kamal Ramkarran, called for “open and transparent systems to deal with misbehaviour from judges and law-yers.” He further argued that “Sys-tems must ensure that the highest professional standards are met by judges and lawyers and if not, consequences should flow.”
In a March 22, 2024 letter to the Editor of Stabroek News, I stated, “Officers of the court – lawyers and others who work in the judicial system – like to repeat the mantra ‘there are consequences.’ The astonishing irony is that, at least in Guyana’s case, the judicial system seems to shield its officers from any consequences even when their actions or failures to act (also actions!) are associated with interminable delays and endless postponements, conflicts of interest, possible derailment of proceedings and even the admission of clearly forged documents into evidence. When any or all of these actions result in costly appeals, court officers are even rewarded for their decisions, as the public continue to seek justice from a system that provides ample opportunities for the miscarriage of justice in Guyana.”
So Mr. Ramkarran’s words are music to my ears, and to the ears of many other Guyanese.
The question for Mr. Ramkarran is, how can he, as President of the Bar Association, help to fix this system, especially as it relates to lawyers?
Would Mr. Ramkarran entertain complaints from us, the public, in a way that is neither ‘cumbersome nor ineffective?’