UCC, Guyana sign agreement to establish law school
January 10, 2017
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Cabinet in Guyana has formally approved a public-private partnership between the Government of Guyana, the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) and Law College of the Americas (LCA) to establish a new law school based in Guyana.
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According to a news release from UCC, the attorney general and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding in Georgetown on Wednesday to formalise the partnership.
The new institution is expected to be one of the largest law schools in the region. The headquarters and main campus will be in Guyana.
Guyana’s Attorney General Basil Williams has welcomed the joint venture partnership, noting that the new law school to be named JOF Haynes Law School of the Americas (JHLSA) will widen access to a captive market where demand for space in law schools across the region is approximately 15 to one. Minister Williams added that the local private sector has an opportunity to invest in all stages of the value chain which will also provide job opportunities for the labour force.
Dr Winston Adams, group executive chairman of the UCC Group of Companies, described the joint venture as a “landmark undertaking that will chart a new course for Caribbean cooperation between a sovereign state and an indigenous higher educational institution to bring added benefits to Jamaica and other English-speaking Caribbean territories”.
He also said that he expected the partnership to pay dividends in the quality of regional education and support for industry whether in minerals, shipping or environmental protection.
Dr Velma Brown, President of the Law College of the Americas , said that the planned JOF Haynes Law School of the Americas will position itself as a catalyst for the new economy for the Region and developing countries. Importantly, it solidifies the vision of the Law College of the Americas to give access to legal education to a wider cross-section of people who are duly qualified, Dr Brown added.
Chairman of the Law College of the Americas, Courtney Wynter said the public-private partnership will “revolutionalise legal education in Jamaica, Guyana and the wider Caribbean, as we challenge historical practices and venture into unchartered waters with more new and diverse programme offerings".
Graduates of the Bachelor of Law programmes at the UCC/LCA Law Faculty, as well as graduates from other law faculties across the Caribbean, will be given priority admission to the planned two-year programme at the JOF Haynes Law School of the Americas effective September 2017/January 2018.
