Twenty-five years after embarking on her journey in the legal profession, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, is looking back with pride at a career defined not only by public service but by her contribution to shaping laws that have transformed the lives of Guyanese.
While she has achieved many milestones as a government minister, Manickchand said one of her greatest sources of pride lies in crafting legislation that has brought lasting, positive change. Reflecting on the anniversary of her entry into the legal field, she described the moment as a “beautiful milestone.”
Manickchand recalled starting her career as a junior counsel, working alongside senior politician Khemraj Ramjattan, before branching out to establish her own legal practice.
She reminisced about launching her own legal chamber at a time when the Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic was on the brink of closure due to an end in funding.
“Legal Aid at the time was the only legal aid provider that was based in Georgetown only for Georgetown residents. So, I started volunteering there while I had my own chamber. I think that’s where I got the wideness and variety of practice– with people and issues who ordinarily would not walk into the chambers of an Attorney-At-Law where they had to pay. I think that’s where my grounding in law really came from,” she shared.
Her commitment to public service deepened when she joined the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, where she expanded access to legal aid by establishing branches outside of the capital — an effort that evolved into the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic.
“While I was there, I passed and piloted in the National Assembly the Protection of the Children Act, the Custody, Contact, Guardianship and Maintenance Act– seven or eight pieces of legislation, including the revolutionary Sex Offences Act. We established the first and only so far, Child Protection Agency which was established through a piece of legislation also. So, I got to do law in practice but I also got to pass laws,” she said.
Manickchand reflected on the privilege of being part of a process that reshaped how families interact within the legal system, including her involvement in establishing the country’s first family court.
This initiative, she noted, brought significant improvements in how families in crisis are treated. Having practiced in the family court herself, Manickchand said the experience allowed her to identify areas for improvement — leading to several recent government reforms.
She also highlighted her role in crafting progressive laws such as the No-Fault Divorce Law, which simplified and modernised the process for ending marriages in Guyana.
Looking back, Manickchand expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve, both as a legal practitioner and a policymaker. She described her 25-year journey as one filled with purpose, service, and fulfillment.
Manickchand noted that it has been a career where she has been able to use her legal training not only to practice law but to volunteer her services and shape a more equitable legal landscape for all Guyanese.
