May this warm moment between Messrs Nandlall and Ram be more than temporary — GHK Lall — Opinion

May this warm moment between Messrs Nandlall and Ram be more than temporary

September 7, 2026·2 min read

Dear Editor,

I have always said that Guyana’s Hon Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, SC, MP, is capable of exceptional moments, actually has one of them, occasionally. I wished there were more, especially given the calibre of this son of Guyana. Separately, there’s a learning opportunity in Mr. Nandlall’s example for Excellency Ali. Yeah, I should know better: water on duck’s back.

Mr. Nandlall picked as fine a spot as he could. A public tribute, a powerful and persuasive word of thanks for Chartered Accountant and attorney-at-law, Chris Ram. Apparently, Mr. Ram contributed heavily to the finalizing of the Law School now growing in Guyana^[1]. A monumental achievement, for this oil rich country; the best site for it to be located. If Mr. Nandlall would permit the courtesy, I extend my own appreciation for the herculean efforts that Ram put in, with backing from the attorney-general himself, to make the law school in Guyana progress from a vision to the edges of a visible entity. Guyana owes Mr. Ram. At least, prospective law students, domestic and abroad, should be aware of the pivotal role he played to make the regional law school possible in Guyana.

First, there was a committee. It didn’t hold long, wasn’t up to the task, fell down on the job. Then, there was a tag team of which the ubiquitous Chris Ram was one half. It didn’t fare well, was soon consigned to the dustbin of history. Inevitably, it came to that time: Ram & McRae selected, two illustrious Guyanese names, one lone Guyana Ranger. An extraordinary fighter for a law school in Guyana. An arduous, uphill, battle at the beginning and many points afterwards. I’m sure that there were times when he felt like that fortuneless fellow from Greek mythology. Remember Sisyphus; the man with the boulder that had to be pushed to the mountaintop, only when it reached near there, to tumble right down back on him. The gods must have their fun. It may be so, but there was still a job to be done.

My understanding is that the now embattled President of the CCJ, Justice Winston Anderson, was a source of strength during those dark, difficult, dismal times. So, too, was Excellency Jacqueline Brown, who was astute and admirable in her backing for a regional law school, and for it to be in Guyana. In life, too often the end product is seen, and the champion contributors given visibility and heralded. Mr. Ram deserves every syllable of recognition and praise for his work. So, also, the head of the CCJ and the indefatigable Ms. Brown.

It feels good to pen this public service circular. Guyana is now the proud address of a regional school. Ram is the recipient of encomia from a PPP Government luminary. Energy and excellence are hailed momentarily. There’s no place for any enemy. Manufactured or the result of a commitment to a certain quality of national duty. May this warm moment be more than temporary. It’s not that I trust in God more today (though I am just back from preaching in his house). It is that I believe that all could be well in Guyana, if only there is that honest effort to nurture what is best in ourselves, and then express it publicly.

Thanks again to Messrs. Chris Ram and Anil Nandlall.

Sincerely,
GHK Lall

References

After decades of talks, Guyana breaks ground for regional law school - News Room Guyana — newsroom.gy ↩

After decades of talks, Guyana breaks ground for regional law school - News Room Guyana

newsroom.gy · 2026-09-04

What began as a proposal nearly three decades ago moved into construction on Thursday, as Guyana formally broke ground for the Caribbean’s fourth Council of Legal Education law school at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus. ... The sod-turning marks the latest step in a long-running effort to establish a Council-administered law school in Guyana, an initiative that has resurfaced under successive administrations but repeatedly stalled over questions of demand, financing, infrastructure and regional approval. ... Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, who has been closely involved in the current push, described Thursday’s ceremony as the culmination of the work and struggles of many people over decades. ... The school is being established on an eight-acre site at the University of Guyana and is intended to be a regional institution, rather than a school exclusively for Guyanese students. Nandlall stressed that the negotiations were deliberately structured to ensure the institution would serve the wider Caribbean and be administered through the regional Council of Legal Education. ... The push for a Guyana-based institution gained renewed momentum in 20 ... Hugh Wooding. ... Historical records show that the CLE discussed the establishment of a Guyana law school and that a task force was established in 20 ... 2 to work on the proposal. ... CLE meeting recorded that Guyana’s Cabinet had appointed a committee to consider where the proposed law school should ... Chancellor and members of its Law Teaching Department had proposed constructing ... In 2018, the issue resurfaced publicly when officials offered conflicting interpretations of earlier CLE decisions. Contemporary reporting showed that while Guyana had pursued the idea for years, the Council was insisting on a feasibility study addressing matters including capital costs, library facilities, staffing, quality assurance and infrastructure. ... Weekes said the Council’s present involvement intensified in 2024, when the matter was brought back before the CLE. ... A collaborative committee comprising representatives of the Government of Guyana and the Council was established to formalise a feasibility study. ... According to Weekes, the parties met on several occasions between September 2024 and September 2025 to determine whether a fourth law school could be viable, feasible and sustainable over the long term. ... The completed feasibility report was presented to the Council in September 2025. ... The Council subsequently formally endorsed Guyana’s proposal at its September 2025 meeting in The Bahamas, through what has become known as the Bahamas Resolution. ... That decision approved the establishment of the fourth CLE law school and authorised negotiations towards a framework agreement between Guyana and the Council. ... In February, Nandlall announced during the 2026 Budget debate that construction was expected to begin during the year. ... By July, the design procurement process had advanced to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, with bids under evaluation. ... Thursday’s ceremony therefore represents a significant change in the status of the project. ... For the first time, the proposal has moved from a question repeatedly debated in Council meetings and government offices to a physical site where construction is expected to take place. ... The final construction cost, however, was not yet available at the time of the sod-turning. Nandlall said the cost would depend on the completion and approval of the design. ... Nandlall has repeatedly emphasised that the institution is not intended to be simply a ... for the places Guyanese students currently obtain at Hugh Wooding. ... It is designed as the fourth regional law school under the Council of Legal Education, joining: ... - Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago; - Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica; and - Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas.

Source

May this warm moment between Messrs Nandlall and Ram be more than temporary in Kiskadee Watch, September 7, 2026