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Southern Africa dele visit LAB Advisory Bureau

Southern Africa dele visit LAB Advisory Bureau

The Citizens Advisory Bureau (CAB) at the Lumley Community Center in an area called Grassfield hosted two visitors from South Africa and Zimbabwe on Thursday, 18 May 2017.  The two are in the country to finalized discussion for a conference in Kigali, Rwanda for legal aid service providers on the continent.
The delegation which includes the Chairperson of the Legal Aid South Africa, Judge President D. Mlambo met with the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara; the Chief Justice, Hon. Abdulai Charm; the Legal Aid Board  and the Justice Sector Coordinating Office on Wednesday, 17 May 2017.

Ms. Vuyiswa Sidzumo of Charles Steward MOTT Foundation from South Africa and Brian Tamuka Kagoro UHAI Africa Limited and National Alliance for the Development of Community Advice Office (Nadcao) from Zimbabwe interacted with volunteers running the Bureau in Ward 393 and observed them mediate a land dispute between two pastors – Joseph Lebbie and Mark Mansaray .
The Secretary to the Bureau, Hawa Kamara told the delegation that a lot has been achieved in improving access to justice in the community as evident in the huge numbers visiting the Bureaus to address their justice needs. She said the Bureau has mediated cases of debt and Micro credit loans, marital problems involving homes at the verge of breakdown and land disputes.

Also, the Bureau has sensitized the community on how the justice system works and on legal issues through handbills, door-to-door campaigns and outreach targeting market places, garages, carwash and other public places. ‘This is increasing the number of people reporting cases to the Bureau,’ she said.
Ms. Kamara noted that a key challenge facing the Bureau relate to the fact that lawyers ask their clients not to cooperate with the Bureau. Another related to inadequate funds to deliver letters to respondents and witnesses and stationery.
Speaking on behalf of the visiting team, Brian Tamuka Kagoro expressed appreciation at the welcome and for the experience with the Bureau. He noted that they have learned a lot to take back to their respective countries.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles said the training of the volunteers running the Bureaus will continue as part of a capacity-building programme. She added that in future she will lobby the Ministry of Finance to allocate money to the Bureau. In addition, it will also assist the Bureaus with fundraising. 

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