Magistrate frequently absent at the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court  

Mar 07, 2023 Letters

Dear Editor,

I shall be thankful if you publish this letter in the columns of your esteemed newspaper. Through this, I like to draw to the attention of the Ministry of Legal Affairs on the state of the Mahaica Magistrate Court.

The sitting magistrate of the Mahaica Magistrate Court needs to uphold her duty of serving this nation rather than absent herself from proceedings for several sittings of the court. The Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Supreme Court should hire competent people who can serve in these positions without excuses and people who will not be away for over a month from court duty.

For the third time, cases of many persons are called and put off due to the magistrate reporting sick and are given weeks to complete these cases by always setting new dates.  The country is benefitting from funding to help strengthen and reform justice system for the betterment of the population and Guyana, but what we are getting is an injustice. Can you imagine people going to court two to three times only to be told that the magistrate is not here today please come back another date.

If a magistrate is sick for two to three weeks can the Court get another magistrate to temporarily fill the gap or can the legal bodies both Ministry and Court work and merge these two courts and have two sitting magistrates so if one is sick then another can handle matters.

It is frustrating since people travel from as far as Grass hook, Mahaica creek running to the court and be disappointed. Money has to be spent to travel and be there for simple civil matters and the court is just unconcerned.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Vickar M. Hussian 

• Magistrate, Mahaica Magistrate’s Court, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Supreme Court, Vickar M. Hussian