A new chapter in Caribbean legal education began on Thursday with the turning of the sod for the region’s fourth Council of Legal Education (CLE) law school at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, joined regional legal officials, members of the judiciary and other stakeholders for the ceremony, which he described as both symbolic and consequential.
“We are here to participate in a simple and symbolic ceremony, but a ceremony of great historical and futuristic significance,” Nandlall said.
The eight-acre development is expected to ease growing demand on existing regional law schools, which have faced capacity constraints in recent years. It will also open opportunities for expanded judicial and continuing legal education, with plans for a collaboration with the Caribbean Court of Justice to establish the CCJ Academy of Law on the same site.
Nandlall said Guyana’s successful bid followed a rigorous process, including a feasibility assessment that examined long-term viability and regional demand for legal education. The bid was formally endorsed by the CLE in September 2025 through the Bahamas Resolution, which approved the fourth law school and cleared the way for a framework agreement between the Government and the regional body.
He said the institution, though based in Guyana, will serve the wider Caribbean rather than function as a national school.
“We were very careful in our negotiations not to ever create the impression that this is going to be an insular institution. It’s not a Guyanese institution. While it will be located in Guyana, it is a regional institution to serve the people of the region,” Nandlall said.
The law school forms part of a growing cluster of specialised training facilities being developed in Guyana, including institutions focused on oil and gas, hospitality, nursing and teacher education. Nandlall said these investments are intended to meet domestic needs while positioning Guyana as a destination for Caribbean students seeking high-quality professional training.
