30 May 2024 marks an important milestone for the University of Guyana and the region's legal landscape.
On that date, the University's Board of Governors took the historic step of adopting the statutes for a new Institute of Legal Studies (IEJ). This ambitious project, the fruit of close collaboration between a number of local partners, promises to strengthen access to legal training in French Guyana and meet the region's growing needs in terms of justice and the law.
A number of major players in Guyana's legal world have joined forces to create this institute. These include the Guyana Bar Association, the Guyana Law School, the Cayenne Court of First Instance and Court of Appeal, as well as the Administrative Court and the Collectivité Territoriale de Guyane, all of which have contributed to this initiative. This ambitious project is part of a shared desire to strengthen the training of Guyanese students in the legal field, enabling them to prepare for various national competitive examinations.
The IEJ, which is part of the university's Department of Legal and Economic Sciences, will focus primarily on preparing students for the entrance exam to the Centres Régionaux de Formation Professionnelle d'Avocats (CRFPA) and the entrance exam to the École Nationale de la Magistrature (ENM). These competitive examinations are crucial steps towards entering key professions in the field of justice.
The first course offered by IEJ will begin in September 2025, with dedicated preparation for the CRFPA entrance exam. Master 1 or Master 2 students wishing to sit this exam in Cayenne will be able to enrol from October 2024. The course will run from January to July 2025, providing them with a structured academic framework tailored to their professional ambitions.
Ultimately, the IEJ aims to broaden its range of courses to cover other competitive examinations related to the legal profession. This initiative is also part of a wider development dynamic within the University of Guyana, with the possible creation of an Institut de Préparation à l'Administration Générale (IPAG). These structures will enable Guianese students to be trained directly on their home territory, thereby reducing the need to travel to mainland France to follow specialised courses. A real step forward for French Guiana.