To ensure citizens with mental health issues who come into conflict with the law are treated with dignity, fairness, and empathy, the country’s first Mental Health Court was launched on Thursday.There is no physical building designated for the court as yet, so it will be operating through the Georgetown and Bartica Magistrates’ Courts, for now.Eventually, the aim is to have the service available in all 11 of the magisterial districts.The overall goal is to decrease the likelihood of individuals reoffending after coming into contact with the criminal justice system.A section of the gathering at the launch of the mental health court (Photo: AG Anil Nandlall FB/June 26, 2025)The Mental Health Court was established with technical support and funding from United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF).Gabriel Vockel, UNICEF area representative (ag) of Guyana and Suriname, said piloting this court is not just the beginning of a new judicial process but is the start of a new era.Vockel said the court represents an important step forward in ensuring access to justice for all, including those with intellectual disabilities.“This court is significant as it will recognise the complex intersection of mental illness, intellectual abilities and criminal behaviour. And by adopting a therapeutic model, it will transform the legal system into a real tool not just for correction but for healing and rehabilitation,” Vockel posited.Attorney General, Anil Nandlall and UNICEF area representative (ag) of Guyana and Suriname, Gabriel Vockel engaged in a discussion (Photo: AG Anil Nandlall FB/June 26, 2025)The Mental Health Court will add to the list of specialised courts introduced to improve access to justice, including the Family Court, the Drug Treatment Court, and the Juvenile Court.According to Chief Medical Officer, Dr Narine Singh, the court represents a major step in the country’s efforts to address mental health in a humane, evidence-based, and integrated manner.“The Mental Health Court is not just a courtroom. It’s a vision. One that recognises that mental health illness should be met with treatment, not punishment.“Mental illness is not a crime and those who suffer it deserve care, not punishment,” Dr Singh said.The initiative, Dr Singh said, aligns with the Health Ministry’s ongoing effort to transform its mental health response.“For too long, individuals with untreated mental health conditions have been caught in the cycle of incarceration and neglect.“This court is not just a medical or legal advancement. It’s a human rights achievement. It reaffirms our constitutional and moral responsibility,” he said.Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall said the establishment of the court aligns with the government’s policy to improve mental health awareness, reduce the prison population, and recidivism.He added that with the court in place now, the government may have to draft legislation that will outline how the court operates and implement rules that will regulate the court procedural aspect.Persons at the launch of the mental health court in Bartica“This court establishes a fact that we have matured significantly as a society.“Within the mental health care context, access to justice is critical to ensure that persons living with mental illness have their voices heard, can exercise their rights, can challenge discrimination and overall ensure their full and effective role as participants in legal proceedings,” Nandall said.Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Yonette Cummings-Edwards highlighted that the mental health court will resume operating with a focus on minor offences.How will it work?A person will be referred to the Mental Health Court if, after the commissioning of a summary offence, it is determined through assessment that his/her mental illness would have contributed to the commission of the crime.Upon ensuring that the defendant is fit to plead to the offence, he/she will be required to enter a plea, either admitting or denying the charge. They will then be recommended to a Mental Health Court.The defendant will meet with a team from the court and will be screened for participation in the mental health court programme. If accepted, a treatment plan will be devised.Thereafter, if the participant follows through with requirements, including treatment, and is successful, they will be discharged.However, if the participant fails with treatment and the outcome is not met, then he/she will have to return to the trial court for a penalty to be imposed.The post Guyana’s first Mental Health Court launched appeared first on News Room Guyana.