Guyana needs an overhaul of its copyright act, the establishment organisation of creators and publishers and an organisation that would be responsible for the registration and management of rights, according to a recently conducted study by the World Trade Center Georgetown (WTCG). Among the recommendations of the study are the preparation of a revamped and modernised Copyright Act; establishment of ...
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SOCU Head, local gov’t minister Persaud file GY$605 million defamation lawsuits against reporter
The Head of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Fazil Karimbaksh and Minister of Local Government, Anand Persaud filed two separate libel suits against reporter and owner of The Big Smith News Watch, Leroy Smith for a total of GY$605 million plus aggravated or exemplary damages. When contacted Friday evening, Mr Smith said he was not ...
Read More »Sydney Amaliya Fraser admitted to the Guyanese Bar
Sydney Amaliya Fraser, an exceptional legal mind with an impressive academic and professional journey, was formally admitted to the Bar of Guyana on October 10, 2024. The ceremony was presided over by the Honourable Chief Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire, with the Honourable Chancellor Yonette Cummings-Edwards in attendance—an honour that speaks volumes about Sydney’s remarkable achievements and the legacy she continues to ...
Read More »Rickford Burke demands GY$100 million compensation from Roshan Khan for libel
New York-based opposition political activist, Rickford Burke on Friday demanded GY$100 million in compensation from Guyanese city businessman, Roshan Khan, for allegedly libeling him in a Facebook post titled “In the Raw: Submachine Guns everywhere”. Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes demanded from Mr Khan an apology for his September 10, 2024 Facebook post which contains charges of serious libel on Mr Burke ...
Read More »Guyanese musicians ask Culture Minister for meeting on copyright law reform
Just two days after government unequivocally committed to modern copyright legislation, two Guyanese musicians on Saturday formally asked Minister of Culture Charles Ramson for a meeting to discuss copyright reform. Jackie “Jackie Jaxx” Hanover and Ivan “D’Ivan” Harry, in their September 28, 2024 letter to the minister, said they also want to discuss other issues affecting the music industry in ...
Read More »Social Media activist Atwell, parents threaten legal action for unconstitutional search of residence
Social media activist Melissa “Melly Mel” Atwell and her mother and grandmother, through a battery of lawyers, have threatened legal action against the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for what they say was an unconstitutional search of their residence earlier this week in retaliation for her criticism of the government. “Our clients have instructed us to request from you, as we ...
Read More »Scrap all criminal defamation laws – Nigel Hughes
Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes wants all aspects of criminal defamation to be removed from Guyana’s law books and no enactment of any new such legislation such as amendments to the Cybercrime Act. “The old Act should be repealed and current Act should be repealed and an Act, which is consistent with the 2001 Budapest Convention ...
Read More »Toshaos Council meeting not “free for all” – AG says about eviction of opposition politicians
Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall on Thursday said the refusal of two politicians into the National Toshaos Council Conference (NTC) was justified because the Amerindian Act does not give all Amerindians the automatic right to participation. “This section clearly requires the National Toshaos Council to permit persons to attend its meeting. In other words, persons can only attend the meeting ...
Read More »Preventing new infections, treatment, human rights protection keys to ending Caribbean AIDS epidemic – UNAIDS report
Kingston, 22 July 2024—A new report released today by UNAIDS shows the world is at a critical moment that will determine whether world leaders meet their commitment to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The report, ‘The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads’, brings together new data and case studies which demonstrate that the decisions and policy choices taken by world leaders this year will decide the fate of ...
Read More »Benn tells police force: talk properly, clean toilets, stop extortion, wear less jewellery
The Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, on Tuesday scolded the Guyana Police Force for poor quality members, despite a 20 percent drop in serious crimes for about four years, saying the time has come for them to cease taking bribes, end wearing a lot of valuable jewellery as a sign that they are taking inducements, and ensure police stations’ ...
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