Construction of Guyana Law School Set to Begin Following Land Clearing at UG Campus

The long-awaited construction of the Guyana Law School is finally set to begin, following the clearing of an eight-acre plot at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, confirmed that preparatory work at the site has been completed. In a recent visit, Nandlall shared images of the now-cleared location, previously described as “heavily overgrown with vegetation, bushes — jungle basically.” He explained that a new access road was also cleared to reach the back of the campus where the school will be built.

The new law school, approved by the Council of Legal Education (CLE), will become the fourth such institution in the Caribbean, joining the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago, Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, and Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas.

President Irfaan Ali first announced the CLE’s final approval in September 2023, stating that work would begin immediately to establish a local law school.

The project marks the culmination of nearly a decade of advocacy and planning. Former Attorney General Basil Williams, SC — who served under the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government from 2015 to 2020 — played a significant early role in championing the initiative.

In 2017, Williams signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CLE representatives and private partners to establish what was then proposed as the JOF Haynes Law School of the Americas. He argued that a local law school was essential to easing the burden on Guyanese law graduates, who faced high overseas costs and limited regional placements.

However, the project stalled under Williams’ leadership due to legal and procedural challenges. In 2018, the CLE clarified that while a feasibility study had been approved, no formal authorisation had been granted to establish a new institution. Without full CLE approval and amid administrative hurdles, the project could not proceed at the time.

Now, with CLE authorisation in hand and site preparation complete, the project has reached a major milestone. The eight-acre development will not only house the law school but will also include facilities to support legal education and professional training in Guyana and the wider region.

With construction expected to begin shortly, the school promises to bring long-awaited relief for local law graduates, allowing them to complete their Legal Education Certificates (LEC) at home and contribute more directly to the country’s growing legal and judicial infrastructure.