The second Defender Training Session held for Sri Lankan lawyers took place in the historical city of Kandy, home of The Temple of the Tooth Relic, and very much a focal point of Sri Lankan culture and history.

International Bridges to Justice Lanka partnered with the Kandy Bar Association to host the event for 106 defense lawyers, who brought with them to the training a varied range of experience. The training was officially opened with the lighting of a traditional ceremonial oil lamp, followed by speeches from IBJ’s International Program Director, Sanjeewa Liyanage, President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), Mr. Kalinga Indatissa, and the President of the Kandy Bar Association, Mrs. E.M.P. Kumari Abeyratne.

Speaking of the ethical principles and values that is expected of every member of the BASL, Mr Indatissa addressed the younger generation of lawyers in the room, telling them;

‘You have a huge responsibility, because as todays juniors, you are the seniors of tomorrow’. He reminded them of the values of being a defense lawyer, including the necessity to uphold their duties towards their clients, to respect the courts, and to show professionalism towards their colleagues.

Mr Indatissa then continued to present the first module of the training to the participants on the role of a defense lawyer, highlighting their rights, duties, and responsibilities. Joining Mr Indatissa on the training team were international trainers, Michael Karnavas, Jacques du Preez, Sanjeewa Liyanage, and Suresh Damodara, along with local trainer Saliya Pieris. The trainers between them brought together a vast amount of experience, from Saliya Pieris PC who has spent more than 25 years practicing in Sri Lankan courts, to Suresh Damodara, Michael Karnavas, and Jacques du Preez, all with experience representing clients in International Criminal Tribunals.

Training topics covered a broad spectrum, from effective client interview skills to cross examination, and included an international element brought in by Singaporean lawyer Suresh Damodara who provided a comparison to the challenges faced by defense lawyers in Singapore. In addition, IBJ’s International Program Director presented a number of modules on past, current, and future trends in the Sri Lankan justice system and encouraged lawyers to envision their ideal justice system and the steps needed to make this a reality.            

Participants were given copies of IBJ Lanka’s newly published Criminal Defense Practice Manual which was referred to throughout the training. The Manual has been endorsed by five Bar Associations throughout Sri Lanka; Trincomalee, Jaffna, Mannar, Kandy, and Vavuniya, and will be distributed throughout the country as a resource for lawyers.

The donated English and Chinese language law books mostly focus on the critical areas of trial advocacy, criminal procedure and criminal law. The books will be available as a resource for IBJ trainers and Chinese defenders.
Concurrent to the donation drive, IBJ is engaged in creating a bilingual library system that has a detailed catalogue of its physical and electronic legal resources. The library system will include resources from both the Wuhan and Xi’an offices. An expansive bilingual library that can provide international comparisons of criminal laws, procedures, and trial advocacy is a critical tool in IBJ’s training and support of China’s criminal defense lawyers.

Opening speech by the Batonnier de l’Ordre des Avocats du Burundi (the Burundi Bar Association)

Drawing 45 Burundian lawyers, IBJ’s four-day training event in Bujumbura, Burundi, opened on July 12th with a speech by the Batonnier de l’Ordre des Avocats du Burundi, or the Burundia Bar Association.

Lawyers in Bujumbura, Burundi learn about building the theme and theory of a case

The first part of the training began with lawyers learning to build a theme and theory of a case and the importance it can play when preparing a case. IBJ’s Training Director, Kellie Krake, provided training on direct and cross-examinations of witnesses. Skills workshops allowed participants to practice what was being taught through a mock crime scene that could only be reconstructed through formulating and asking questions to witnesses.

Participants in the training construct a mock crime scene

Moreover, a refresher on various defenses under the Burundian Penal Code, including nullities and implementation, constituted a prelude to develop participant’s creativity into using broader local law resources and international conventions in preparation of strong defenses or in invoking nullities of procedure. IBJ’s Burundian Legal Fellow, Astère Muyango, spoke of the importance of putting in place a competent legal aid system.

The last two days of the training included other participants coming from across the spectrum of Burundi’s criminal justice system. These included magistrates, judicial police officers, and prison officials. A special guest speaker discussed the criminal proceedings involving juveniles. Presentations included international standards and Aline Njimbere, an IBJ Legal Fellow, explored with participants the changes to the Criminal Procedure Code. Mock demonstrations were conducted for participants to identify and discuss irregularities in procedures.

Judicial police officers and legal aid lawyers receiving training side-by-side

An overarching goal of this training was to strengthen understanding and dialogue amongst the different actors working in the system to build a sense of community with a common purpose, to improve Burundi’s justice system. Participants were encouraged to share their personal stories and values, to imagine the ideal of fairness in the justice system and to identify ways to work towards those ideals, and to pinpoint other issues they are face together as stakeholders in Burundi’s justice system. The training proved to be a great success. Whether it was a new way of thinking, preparing a better defense, or improving their technical skills, almost all participants thanked IBJ for contributing to their professional development.

The Batonnier ended the training with a final inspirational speech and the awarding of certificates to the participants. With all these actors moving together to apply the skills learned and values shared in the training, Burundi is one step closer to realizing the kind of fair and equitable justice system that had been envisioned in the training.

All images courtesy Krzysztof Racoń and Michal Wojtysiak, copyright 2011.

Kellie Krake and John Tawanda Burombo share legal skills at IBJ's training workshop in Kigali, Rwanda

It was quite hot in Kigali on July 20^th 2011. Despite the heat, 30 defense lawyers gathered at IBJ’s Rwanda office for a skills building training workshop to strengthen their ability to advocate for the rights of their clients. Kellie Krake, IBJ’s Training Director and an American lawyer with years of criminal defense experience, and John Busco Bugingo, the head of IBJ Rwanda, were at the helm of this intense training workshop.

Participants were very eager to share their values, stories, and to learn. Ideas and answers to questions came from all sides. The workshop focused on cross-examination techniques where lawyers analyzed a fact scenario to identify what to ask clients to get the most information out of them. Lawyers were also trained on how to build the theme and theory of the case. A presentation on early access to counsel and international standards followed. After the morning session, participants received a certificate of attendance identifying the skills they had just learned.

Rwandan attorneys take note of the criminal defense practice tips IBJ delivers

The second half of the daywas dedicated to training the trainers. The purpose of a Train the Trainers program is to get more experienced lawyers to be able to pass their skills onto others. Participants learned how to conduct a good and competent training session, and learned how to focus their efforts. They were also provided with materials to facilitate this task. Under IBJ’s current program, over 180 Rwandan lawyers have been trained in the last three years. In order to capitalize on this success, IBJ is now deploying the more skilled criminal defense lawyers to train others and thus multiply their impact.

IBJ Skills Training Workshop

The workshop was also a valuable networking opportunity for participants, who were given the opportunity to get involved as IBJ volunteer lawyers.

All images courtesy Krzysztof Racoń and Michal Wojtysiak, copyright 2011.

The ninth and final fellowship will be awarded via the People’s Choice Award. Right now, registered JusticeMakers users have the opportunity to rate each project idea on a 1 to 5 scale on JusticeMakers.net. This affords the global community of lawyers, human rights defenders and interested observers the opportunity to wholly determine the beneficiary of a $5,000 grant.

If you are not registered on JusticeMakers.net, please click here. Complete the free, two minute registration process, and begin evaluating projects immediately. Proposals range both in geography and focus, capturing the efforts of 59 legal aid activists throughout Asia.

Below is a table highlighting the top 20 finalists in the People’s Choice Award, as of May 7th. In the rows you will find the applicant’s username, their overall average, and the total number of ratings that applicant has received.

In 2008 the People’s Choice Award was an immeasurable success. Last year the fellowship was granted to Patrick Dunkwu, a Nigerian lawyer who used a network of volunteers with mobile phones to connect legal aid lawyers with accused people languishing in prisons throughout Lagos. In his year as a JusticeMakers Fellow, Patrick ensured the release of 38 accused people from prison, organised a human rights training program in his local community, and was invited to Ghana to replicate his project, resulting in the training of 18 lawyers and 12 paralegals.

In 2010, the public vote will allow a similarly innovative and relevant project to be implemented. Please stay posted for updated rating data and the final announcement of the winner on May 19th.

Using innovative and interactive exercises, the training focused on increasing the capability of local lawyers to provide competent defenses to accused persons, of which has been a problematic issue for many Zimbabweans. They explored a plethora of legal concepts such as cross-examination and procedures to prevent torture against prisoners, helping the participating lawyers in garnering invaluable skills and experience. Summarizing the training for many, one of the participants concluded, “this has made us believe that it is not extraordinary men and women who change the course of history, but ordinary men and women with extraordinary skills and beliefs.”

The seminar was the first of its kind in Zimbabwe. The major objectives of the seminar were to strengthen the practical skills of criminal defence lawyers and to assist them in becoming better versed in Zimbabwe’s criminal procedures to provide competent defences to accused persons. Participants were drawn from various private law firms, the Legal Aid Directorate – a governmental entity entrusted to provide counsel and representation to indigents – and other civic organisations. The lead trainer was Anthony Natale, a practicing trial lawyer for the past 30 years from the Miami Federal Office, in the United States of America. Anthony trained in tandem with Karen Tse (IBJ Founder and CEO), Innocent Maja (IBJ Zimbabwe Senior Fellow and Country Manager), Professor Geoff Feltoe (University of Zimbabwe Law Professor) and Alec Muchadehama (a leading human rights lawyer in Zimbabwe).

Above: From left to right: IBJ Founder Karen Tse congratulates a trainee with Tony Natale, Miami Public Defender and Trainer (Photo by Florence Chatira).

The training was based on practical methodologies. The trainers and participants used modern, innovative, dynamic and participatory training tools and exchanged ideas and experiences. At the end of the seminar, participants were given complimentary copies of the current Criminal Defender Handbook and the Community Service Guidelines, both written by Professor Feltoe and commissioned by IBJ in conjunction with Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) and International Bar Association (IBA).

Above: A Zimbabwean lawyer exposing the vision she has for her country’s criminal justice system. (Photo by Florence Chatira). 

The training was a resounding success with participants showing great enthusiasm and eagerness to learn and implement the skills imparted to them. At the end of the training, participants acknowledged that they had learnt a lot and acquired relevant practical skills related to their work. Many lawyers found the training informative, interesting and inspiring and encouraged International Bridges to Justice to host additional such training events in the future. The seminar undoubtedly sparked momentum among lawyers and inspired them to dedicate more resources, time and energy towards criminal legal aid. A core group of dedicated advocates committed themselves to contribute to the transformation of Zimbabwe’s criminal justice system and to provide free legal assistance to indigent citizens accused of a crime with the support of IBJ.

Above: Zimbabwe lawyers signing hope for the furture of their country’s justice system, with IBJ Founder  Karen Tse (far right). (Photo by Florence Chatira)

To view a video summary of the training, please click here.

Above: From left to right: Professor Geoffrey Feltoe and IBJ Zimbabwe Fellow, Innocent Maja, moderating the first roundtable on prison overcrowing in early July 2009. (Photo by Florence Chatira).

More than 70 criminal defense and legal aid lawyers are expected to join forces in Harare to discuss and share practical tips about Development of Theory of Case, Investigation, Interviewing, Opening and Closing Arguments, Direct Examination, and Cross Examination. Procedural issues surrounding the use of torture as an investigative tool and other issues will also be pondered during evening roundtable sessions.

The training aims at equipping lawyers with a set of practical skills they can leverage to provide quality counsel to their clients and to have them reflect upon the values which led them to become advocates. Beyond, the hope is to build the leadership of a criminal legal aid movement that can push for systematic access to legal counsel throughout the country.

To view the full training program, please click here.