–advancing vision as Caribbean centre for learning
Guyana’s ambition to emerge as a major centre for education and professional training in the Caribbean is gaining further momentum with the establishment of 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, on Thursday joined regional legal officials, members of the judiciary and other stakeholders for the turning of the sod, marking a major step towards creating a new regional institution that will expand access to legal education and help meet growing demand for trained legal professionals.
The development places Guyana at the centre of a significant transformation in Caribbean legal education, particularly as existing institutions continue to face increasing demand and limited capacity.
Minister Nandlall said the initiative represents a defining moment for Guyana and the wider Caribbean, describing the groundbreaking 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,” he said.
The new institution is expected to serve students from across the Caribbean, reinforcing Guyana’s emerging role as a destination for regional education and professional development.
The attorney general said the decision to establish the school in Guyana followed a rigorous process, including a feasibility assessment examining its long term viability and the demand for legal education across the region.
Guyana’s successful bid was formally endorsed by the CLE in September 2025 through the Bahamas Resolution, which approved the fourth law school and paved the way for a framework agreement between the government and the regional body.
For Guyana, the investment goes beyond providing another avenue for aspiring lawyers. It forms part of a wider national strategy to build an education ecosystem capable of attracting students from across the region and developing highly skilled professionals.
“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,” Minister Nandlall said.
The eight acre development at Turkeyen is also expected to create opportunities for expanded judicial and continuing legal education.
Plans include collaboration with the Caribbean Court of Justice to establish the CCJ Academy of Law on the site, further broadening the campus’s regional significance.
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.
According to AG Nandlall, these investments are intended not only to meet domestic needs but to position Guyana as a destination for Caribbean students seeking high quality professional training.
The project also closes a longstanding gap in the region’s legal education architecture.
With construction now moving forward, Guyana is poised to add a major regional institution to its education landscape, creating new opportunities for students while expanding the country’s influence in Caribbean legal education.