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“The principal recipients of legal aid are persons who are facing domestic and matrimonial difficulties, eviction from tenanted premises…These are persons whose rights are daily trampled for want of legal services.”“The protection of law is a meaningless right unless it can be equally accessed by all citizens regardless of their social or financial status.”Eminent attorney at law and Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran underscored this point when legal aid services were taken to the ancient county recently.The initiative recently received a renewed boost from Minister of Human Services and Social Security who herself during her tenure as an attorney-at-law provided her services pro bono.Ramkarran, who provided the feature address at the launching, told the gathering that there is no question in this day and age that legal aid is an integral part of social services which a state is obliged to provide to its citizens.“The protection of law is an obligation of nations in international law and is provided for by our own constitution and those of most other democratic constitutions…it is recognized as a duty by the state.Ramkarran substantiated his claim citing the now famous legal case of Gideon vs. Wainright which was decided in the United States Supreme Court. The court ruled that accused persons are entitled to legal representation and it must be provided where they cannot afford it.In that case Gideon was a semi-literate drifter who at 5:30 am in Panama City, Florida, USA, had broken a window, smashed a cigarette machine and a juke box and stolen money.He could not afford a lawyer and asked the judge to appoint one for him because, he said, the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution provided that he is entitled to a lawyer.The judge declined because the Sixth Amendment had been interpreted by the US Supreme Court to apply only to capital cases in Federal, not State Courts.Gideon was convicted and sentenced to five years. He appealed throughout to the Florida Supreme Court and then to the US Supreme Court on his own without the aid of a lawyer.The Supreme Court agreed to hear his case and appointed a lawyer to assist him.He added that while the Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic (soon to be renamed Guyana Legal Aid Clinic) had many initial problems and was treated with suspicion by some, it has now proved its worth by the dedicated and sustained work of its directors led by Ashton Chase and Josephine Whitehead and its lawyers, and other dedicated staff free of cost.“This is a hopeful beginning and I look forward to the day when legal aid would be available to all Guyanese…The principal recipients of legal aid are persons who are facing domestic and matrimonial difficulties, eviction from tenanted premises, are in need of maintenance and other such matters…These are persons whose rights are daily trampled for want of legal services.”Government is obligated to provide Legal Aid Services (LAS) for underprivileged citizens, given that it is guaranteed in the Constitution, as well as under the United Nation Declaration of Human Rights.Regarding the importance of LAS, former Attorney General Mohamed Shahabudeen is quoted as saying “maintenance of the rule of law is meaningless unless the individual citizen who feels aggrieved is in a position to obtain the necessary legal services to ventilate his grievance and seek redress.”Manickchand is on record as saying that the utilization of the law is the right of citizens and with LAS, it will provide a means for the enforcement of those rights.“We are putting this in place to ensure that the poor people of the country have access to legal services.”LAS service will be provided on a criteria basis in that as long as a person is assessed and deemed unable to pay the price of what a private practitioner would charge,China Jerseys, or if persons need to know what their legal rights are or need a lawyer to represent them in court.Legal aid service in Guyana has its genesis in the early 1970s, when Catholic Priest, Father Campbell-John and several lawyers, including Miles Fitzpatrick and Joseph King, started a legal advice clinic.It was originally based at the David Rose Centre but was later moved to the Church and Murray (now Quamina) Streets location.The lawyers at that time would visit the clinic once or twice a week to give free legal advice.In time, the centre expanded, moving to premises of its own, employing a legally qualified manager and support staff and offering legal advice and representation to persons on an assessment basis.In 1974 the centre was incorporated as a company, limited by guarantee, and some private practitioners continued to give voluntary service.Funding was obtained from the Caribbean Council of Churches and agencies in the USA and Canada.No funding was forthcoming from the government of the day and when in the early 1980s the overseas source of funding dried up, the centre was forced to close its doors in February1983.Most of the work done by the centre was in the area of civil law.Efforts were also made to inform people of their legal rights through ‘The Law and You’ radio broadcasts.In March 1994, the GLAC was opened and to date has assisted in excess of 12, 000 persons.In 2007 subventions to the LAS were extended to $32M, which has allowed the service to expand outside of Region Four.
