Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, has thrown his support behind a recent directive issued by Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, instructing members of the Guyana Police Force to refrain from arbitrarily stopping vehicles and demanding drivers produce their licences without reasonable cause.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court in Region Eight on Friday, Minister Nandlall welcomed the move as a step toward improving professionalism and accountability within the police force.
The directive also includes a mandate for officers to activate their body cameras during road stops, ensuring greater transparency. Minister Nandlall emphasized the importance of these measures, stating, “You can’t stop people on the road willy-nilly. That was illegal 40 years ago, and it is still illegal now. You have to have reasonable cause or suspicion.”
He highlighted concerns about what he described as “fishing expeditions,” where officers extend routine stops into intrusive and unwarranted inspections. “When you ask me for my licence, I show you my licence. Then you have to check my brake lights. Then you check my blinker. Then you want to see my spare tyre. You are now finding a cause to justify your stopping of me in the first place,” the Attorney General noted.
Nandlall pointed out that with greater access to information, the public is now more aware of their rights and less tolerant of unlawful practices. He urged the police force to rise to the occasion and meet the expectations of an increasingly informed and empowered population.
“We owe a duty to the public to ensure that the decisions we make are fair, transparent, in accordance with the law, and capable of withstanding public scrutiny,” he said.
The Attorney General also outlined plans to engage the legal fraternity to establish a more effective mechanism for handling public complaints about the professional conduct of lawyers. While a system currently exists, he acknowledged that public confidence in its effectiveness is low.
“There is a system in place, but the general view out there is that the system is not working. We need to have that conversation going forward. Thirty years ago, things were different. People didn’t have the access they have now,” Nandlall stated, stressing the need for reform to ensure accountability in both the legal and law enforcement sectors.
