GUYANA-Gov’t plans major legal reforms for 2026, targeting evidence, companies, and trust laws.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Government is preparing a wide-ranging legislative programme for 2026 that will include major reforms to the Evidence Act and the Companies Act, along with the introduction of long-awaited trust legislation, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall has announced.

Nandlall said modernising the Evidence Act is a priority, noting that the current law dates back to the colonial era and no longer reflects contemporary realities.

“Nothing relevant in 1893 can be relevant now. So, by the sheer passage of time, the Evidence Act is outmoded and outdated,” he said. “That act was born out of a different era. We are now living in an ICT world.”

Nandlall disclosed that a draft modern Evidence Act, based on an internationally recognised Australian model, has already been completed and is expected to be presented to Cabinet ahead of public consultations.

“Barbados and many countries in the Caribbean have already enacted similar legislation,” he added.

The Attorney General also outlined plans to amend the Companies Act, which was enacted in 1995. While the legislation has functioned effectively, he said, developments in finance and increasingly complex business practices now require updates to keep pace with modern commercial activity.

He said consultations are already underway with members of the legal profession, accountants, and private-sector stakeholders as part of the reform process.

Another significant change on the 2026 agenda is the introduction of trust legislation. Guyana currently has no law governing trusts, despite their growing importance in financial and commercial transactions.

“Our economy is growing, our financial sector is expanding and becoming more sophisticated, and we must have the mechanisms that the Trust Act provides to protect our financial system,” Nandlall said.

He noted that “the Financial Action Task Force has already identified the lack of a trust law in Guyana as a critical deficiency, and we have to fill that deficiency very early.

In addition, the Attorney General said the Cybersecurity Act will be revised to align with evolving international standards, including the new United Nations Convention on Cybercrime, to strengthen Guyana’s ability to tackle online crime while protecting freedom of expression.