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MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Legal Aid Clinic assisted over 1800 persons with civil, criminal matters

…says divorce matters most prominent

Atotal of 1860 persons were assisted with various civil and criminal matters last year by the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic (GLAC). The majority of them, 796, were those seeking to terminate their marriages. This was revealed in statistics published by the GLAC for January to December 2020.

Most of the persons who visited these offices requested help with civil matters. They were either given advice and legal representation or advice alone. At the GLAC’s office in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supennam), 310 persons were interviewed - 159 males and 151 females. Of the number of persons interviewed, 272 received advice and representation, while the remaining 38 received advice only.

For this region, 35 persons were interviewed for divorce matters and all of them received advice and representation. Another 56 persons were interviewed concerning estate matters; 55 of them received advice and representation. As it relates to cases concerning deed polls and affidavits, 39 persons were interviewed and every one of them received advice and representation.

For property dispute matters, of the 30 persons interviewed, only 16 received advice and representation. The other matters for which persons were interviewed include custody and access, maintenance, personal injury/death claims, domestic violence, landlord and tenant, late registration of birth/deaths, adoption, power of attorney, property dispute, and employment.

A total of 41 persons were interviewed for criminal matters at the office in Region Two. Thirty-six of them received advice and representation. The others were only advised. These criminal matters included: murder/ manslaughter, robbery, theft, narcotics, assault, threatening language, rape/carnal knowledge, disorderly behaviour, and firearm.

Over at the GLAC’s office in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), a whopping 1373 persons, including 993 females and 380 males were interviewed. A total of 650 of them were interviewed for divorce matters for which 487 received advice and representation. The remaining 163 were given advice only.

Another 141 persons were interviewed for miscellaneous matters, 100 for custody and access, 89 for property dispute, 56 for division of property, 53 for injunctions, 51 for maintenance, 41 for domestic violence, 32 for landlord and tenant, and 30 for employment.

Persons in Region Four were also given help with civil matters relating to adoption, custody and access, domestic violence, damage to property, power of attorney among others. A total of 41 persons were interviewed for criminal matters; 36 of them received advice and representation. The remainder were only given advice. The criminal matters for which these persons sought assistance were the same as those in Region Two.

Meanwhile, at the Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) office, 26 males and 11 females were interviewed. Most of them, 34, were interviewed in relation to divorce matters, but only seven of them received advice and representation in court. The others were given advice. One person each visited the office concerning matters for custody and access, property disputes, and damage to property.

At the Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) office, 160 persons including 85 females and 55 males were interviewed. Seventy-seven of them were interviewed for divorce matters; 32 were given advice and representation and the remaining were given advice only.

Other civil matters which engaged the attention of this office are custody and access for which 10 persons were interviewed, property dispute for which seven persons were interviewed, and prescriptive title which saw five individuals being interviewed.

Persons were also interviewed concerning the following matters: adoption, contract, damage to property, division of property, estate, landlord, and tenant, among others. Sixteen persons were interviewed at the Region Six office for criminal matters. Nine of them were interviewed for murder/manslaughter. Only three, however, were given advice and representation.

In cases where persons did not qualify for legal aid, they were referred to the private bar.

GLAC has been providing legal aid to persons who cannot afford to employ the services of a member of the private bar. Since opening in March 1994, 27 years ago, it has assisted 46,663 people, the majority being women, to vindicate and protect their rights.

GLAC has four offices: King and Charlotte Streets, Georgetown, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Anna Regina, Essequibo, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); and Vryman’s Erven, New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

With a team of nine lawyers, GLAC is largely funded by the Government, donor agencies, and socially-conscious entities and individuals.

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Malfunctioning koker door leads to flooding in Charlestown, Werk-en-Rust

…250 households affected – CDC

A worker at a business establishment cleaning after floodwaters receded on Sunday morning

Flooding due to a malfunctioned door at the Princes Street, to assess the damage to homes and businesses in the communities. Georgetown koker affected 250 households on Sunday at Charlestown, Georgetown, said the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). The floodwaters have since receded. Following the flooding, the CDC deployed a team According to the CDC, while homes in Hadfield, Bent, and Princes Streets were not affected, over 250 households in the Charlestown and Werken-Rust communities were impacted. In the Charlestown area, the roads were inundated with about eight inches of water while as much as 12 inches of water were on the Werk-en-Rust roadway.

On Sunday, City Engineer Colvern Venture reported that the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) had successfully managed to close the koker door and that the Princes Street pump was used to drain the water from the land.

“At 4:40 am when the door closed, we were continuously pumping water until about 6:30 am, at which time we saw a significant reduction in the level of the water," Venture informed. The CDC has assured that it will continue to support the M&CC in providing relief to the affected households in the Charlestown and Werk-en-Rust communities.

Flood warning

Meanwhile, the Public Works Ministry is advising the public to take all necessary precautions during the spring tide period which commenced last Friday, March 26, 2021, and is expected to end on April 1, 2021. The Ministry warned that the predicted tide indicates above-normal levels.

The Sea and River Defence Department considers the following areas to be particularly susceptible to possible flooding as a result of storm surges which may induce overtopping of sea/river defence structures. The areas are San Souci to Sarah and Maria’s Pleasure to Meerzorg, Good Success, Zeelandia and Moorfarm, Wakenaam Island on the Pomeron River banks.

Amsterdam/Retrieve, Endeavour/Blenheim, Cane Garden on Leguan Island; Windsor Forest to De Willem, West Coast Demerara; Zeelugt, Parika Market Area, Salem to Sparta, East Bank Essequibo; Water Street, Georgetown; Helena # 1 & 2 Mahaica, East Coast Demerara; Belvedere to Cottage, Mahaicony; Wellington Park/Tarlogie, Lonsdale/Glasgow, East Bank Berbice, and Sheet Anchor, Canje River.

The highest tides are expected to be on Monday, March 29, 2021, at 4:30 am and 4:42 pm at a height of 3.27 metres, and on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at 5:07 pm at a height of 3.28 metres. In addition to the above-named locations, all persons residing along the banks of rivers and low-lying coastal areas are advised to take all the necessary precautions against possible flooding.

Mariners are also being advised to take precautions, including those operating fishing vessels and larger vessels. The use of beaches and foreshore areas for recreational purposes during this period is not advised.