Expanding the Legal Services Unit in Zambia

This week two paralegals from Prisons Care and Counselling Association based at the Legal Services Unit at the Lusaka Subordinate Court successfully introduced their work to four civil society organisations.

The civil society organisations (Legal Resources Foundation, National Legal Aid Clinic for Women, Young Women's Christian Association, Women and Law in Southern Africa) are in charge of setting up five additional Legal Service Units in selected Subordinate Courts in Southern and Copperbelt provinces.

By early 2017 Legal Services Units (LSU) in these provinces will be able to provide vulnerable and indigent Zambians with assistance when they have to deal with the judicial system. The LSU model installs permanent legal desks based and operating from the court premises. When accused of a crime, vulnerable and indigent Zambians have to deal with a judicial system they often do not understand, while not having the funds to hire lawyers who can represent and assist them in navigating the judicial process. This leads to long incarceration periods pending trial, delayed administration and overcrowded prisons and – sometimes – convictions largely due to a poor defense. The LSU provides assistance to these clients at key points throughout the justice process, from the prison cell to the court room.

The work is part of the Programme for Legal Empowerment and Enhanced Justice Delivery funded by the European Union and the German Government with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) supporting its implementation with technical assistance from the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

The Danish Institute for Human Rights is proud to be part of the paralegals extraordinary work.