Guyana Abolishes Preliminary Inquiries in Favour of Paper Committals

Guyana’s National Assembly recently passed the Criminal Law Procedure (Paper Committals) Bill 2024, marking a significant change in the country’s legal system by eliminating lengthy preliminary inquiries (PI). The bill, presented by Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, aims to replace traditional oral preliminary inquiries with paper committals. This shift is expected to streamline judicial processes, reduce case backlogs, and alleviate the burden on the prison system.

Under the new legislation, instead of conducting oral hearings with witnesses present, paper committals will involve a review of written evidence and arguments submitted by both the prosecution and defense. This method, already in use in other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, promises efficiency and expediency, addressing issues of prolonged remand periods and ensuring fair trials within reasonable time frames.