The National Assembly on Friday received the 2022 Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana, a comprehensive update of the country’s legal framework that incorporates all legislation enacted and amended between 2012 and December 31, 2022.
The revised collection was formally presented by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, during the sitting of the National Assembly.
The exercise updates the country’s statute books by consolidating legislation passed over the past decade and integrating amendments into existing laws, allowing legal practitioners, judges, academics and members of the public to access current versions of the law in a single reference source.
Addressing parliamentarians and visitors in the chamber, including diplomats and students, Nandlall explained that the revision process is a critical component of maintaining an accurate and functional legal system.
He outlined the legislative process, noting that laws begin as bills in Parliament before undergoing several stages of scrutiny and debate.
“It comes here as a bill, and it concludes with requisite readings, goes to the President for assent, and when that assent is affixed, it becomes law.”
According to the Attorney General, one of the principal objectives of the revision exercise is to ensure that new laws passed since the last revision are properly incorporated into the country’s legal records.
“The more fundamental part of the law revision exercise is to insert into those volumes the laws that have been passed since the last revision exercise.”
The previous revision of Guyana’s laws was completed in 2012. Since then, Parliament has enacted numerous pieces of legislation and amended existing statutes across a wide range of sectors, including governance, finance, natural resources, security and social services.
Nandlall explained that the revised edition not only includes newly enacted laws but also incorporates amendments directly into the principal Acts, making it easier for users to understand the current state of the law without having to cross-reference multiple amendment acts.
“All the laws that we have passed from 2012 up to December 2022, December 31st, are the subject of the revised edition.”
He also stressed the importance of preserving earlier editions of the laws, noting that historical versions remain valuable resources for legal interpretation and academic research.
According to the Attorney General, judges, lawyers and scholars frequently consult previous editions when examining the evolution of legislation and determining legislative intent.
The updated volumes are expected to serve as an important reference tool for the legal profession, public institutions and citizens seeking access to Guyana’s current body of laws.
