The Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Sir Ronald Sanders, has acknowledged the serious and prolonged delay in the release of grades for Criminal Law I and Criminal Law II for the 2024/2025 academic year and has ordered urgent action be taken.
In a statement dated yesterday and received today, the Chancellor declared that “the delay is completely unacceptable” and, on behalf of the University, he offered a deep apology to the students concerned. Sir Ronald said he recognizes the considerable anxiety and uncertainty caused to the affected students, particularly those preparing applications to regional law schools or requiring complete academic records for other academic and professional purposes.
He said that the matter was brought to his attention by the President of the University of Guyana Students’ Society on 17 September 2026. He said that he responded promptly, referring the complaint immediately to the Chairman of the Transitional Management Team, Professor Stafford Griffith, and requesting that the allegations be investigated, the facts established and all necessary corrective action taken.
When Chancellor Sanders was subsequently told that the matter had been only partially addressed by the deadline of 18 September 2026, he issued further directions. The statement said that he directed that the affected students be informed of the status of their grades and the steps being taken; that urgent arrangements be made to ensure that no student suffers academic, professional or other disadvantage because of the University’s delay; and that the circumstances which allowed the grades to remain outstanding for such an extended period be formally examined and appropriate corrective action taken.
It was with alarm, the statement said, that he learned that, although some action was taken by September 18, the matter was not fully resolved, and all affected students did not receive their outstanding grades.
The statement added that Chancellor Sanders has made it clear that the Registrar and the Examinations Division must communicate forthrightly with the affected students and must not confuse the marking of scripts or the submission of mark sheets with the official release of approved grades.
Through Professor Griffith, the Chancellor has instructed the Registrar to identify all affected students, including those facing imminent application or admission deadlines. Where necessary, the statement said that the University will provide certified explanatory letters, interim academic documentation or direct confirmation to the Council of Legal Education and relevant law schools. The University will also consider, through the appropriate academic authorities, any exceptional measures required to ensure that students are not prejudiced by circumstances for which they are not responsible.
The statement said that the Chancellor has also required an administrative review to establish why the grades were not processed and released within the required period, why earlier assurances were not fulfilled, and what changes are necessary to prevent a recurrence.
As part of that review, the statement sad that the Registrar will be required to determine whether similarly outstanding grades exist elsewhere in the University and to report the findings to the Transitional Management Team and the University Council.
On July 21st this year, Kiskadee Watch carried the following letter.
Dear Editor,
I write today with profound disappointment and frustration, not only for myself but for the students of the University of Guyana LLB cohort who remain in administrative limbo.
On October 1, 2025, a letter was published in Stabroek News highlighting the unacceptable delay in the release of our Criminal Law I and II grades. The following day, the University of Guyana Department of Law responded publicly, acknowledging that the delay was “regrettable” and assuring the student body that the grades would be released “within the next week.” That was nine months ago, yet we remain in the exact same position.
Today, as we sit in July of 2026, those grades remain outstanding. Despite the University’s public promises, the situation has not been resolved. We have been subjected to an exhausting cycle of vague assurances, shifting blame, and broken commitments.
We sat our first exam for this course on December 2, 2024. It has been one year and seven months since that assessment.
As law students, we are taught the importance of accountability, due process, and the timely delivery of justice. Yet, the very institution responsible for our training continues to fail these basic tenets of professionalism. The recurring nature of these delays suggests a deep-seated systemic failure that can no longer be excused by “unforeseen factors” or “burgeoning numbers.” We have done our part, we have completed our assessments, and we have waited patiently—far beyond what is reasonable.
Respectfully,
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
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