Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon had earlier this month indicated that the Government of Guyana has the will and financial capability to set up a local law school in time for the 2003/2004 academic year.

Currently, the University of Guyana only offers the first phase of a full law programme with Guyanese having to complete studies at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad in order to practise locally.

The agreement with the Caribbean Council of Legal Education, however, only allows the admission of 25 Guyanese to Hugh Wooding, presenting a dilemma for any extra number of graduates from the University of Guyana.

At present, 15 graduates face the situation of not being admitted to Hugh Wooding because of the limited admission.

At a Cabinet weekly statutory meeting earlier this month, Luncheon said the administration gave further consideration to the creation of a law school, as it would complete the range of educational requirements to make graduates "Bar eligible".

He said a concept paper was distributed and discussed widely at Cabinet and the proposal was deemed acceptable.

According to Luncheon, "there may very well be legal instruments and some element of diplomacy" that will be needed to provide for the creation of the Guyana Law School and its output of eligible legal practitioners.

He said that "those who are tasked with the curriculum delivery at the university have responded favourably" to the Government's proposal.