Guyanas legal system is based on English common law with certain aspects of Roman-Dutch law. Guyana is the only South American country where the death penalty is still in use. Serious crime is a big problem in Guyana. The murder rate is high even for a continent where the rate is already higher than in Europe and the United States. Much serious crime have even been on the increase in recent years. Robbery and theft occurs frequently in Georgetown and New Amsterdam.