For the week of July 5th, over 65 members of Burundi’s justice sector community gathered in Bujumbura to receive training in legal techniques. The training was conducted by IBJ Burundi Program in partnership with the Burundi Bar Association and the Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Detained Persons (APRODH). IBJ Fellow in Burundi, Astère Muyango, hailed the training as a great step forward for Burundi’s justice system, which is still on a slow road to recovery after a 12-year civil war – which officially ended in 2005. Though there is much work to be done to strengthen justice in Burundi, the active and enthusiastic participation of all justice sector officials during this week offers an encouraging glimpse into the future.

The first three days of training involved lawyers in practical exercises intended to strengthen their ability to articulate and defend the rights of the accused in the pre-trial detention phase. Lawyers received lessons in common law practices such as cross-examination in preparation for Burundi’s integration into the East African Community. Many lawyers were actively involved in discussions, and were eager to share their experiences with criminal justice in Burundi. There seemed to be a consensus that this training has strengthened the commitment and competence of the legal community to defend the rights of the accused.

On the third and fourth day of training, judges, prosecutors, police officers, and prison officials attended the forum. All participants engaged in roundtable discussions to share insight about their unique function in the criminal justice process. The final day included a mock trial in which all justice sector officials were able to “trade places” to receive insight about the different dimensions of criminal defense. Lawyers were able to try their hand as prosecutors; while prison officials became judges. Prosecutors assumed the position of the accused, and police officers tried their hand as defenders. This exercise involved the case of accused persons who were held for three years until their innocence was determined.

There was no shortage of laughter throughout the mock trial. Participants enjoyed the chance to mimic the caricatures of their professional adversaries. As one police officer bravely received several “torture” sessions as an accused person, many in the audience applauded the performance. Sanjeewa Liyanage, IBJ’s International Programs Director, concisely explained the comedic value of the training exercise. “Many of us were laughing because what we observed seemed utterly ridiculous. And that is precisely the nature of the predicament in which too many detainees find themselves: ridiculous.”

All participants responded overwhelmingly positively to the training exercises. (Prison officials and police were only dismayed that they had not attended the first three days of training). For a country in which three in five prisoners are pre-trial detainees, the sustained engagement of all justice-sector actors is absolutely necessary to alleviate Burundi’s overburdened prisons. Burundi has yet to establish a legal aid mechanism or a separate juvenile justice system. As the country continues on the path towards reconstruction, these are critical areas to address. However, the prospects for the rights of the accused have improved as a result of this training. It will only take the commitment of the participants to turn these skills into results.

The IBJ Burundi program is headed by IBJ Fellow Astère Muyango, who brings with him a long track record of human rights advocacy. The closing ceremony was attended by Isidore Rufyikiri, President of the Bar Association, and Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, the founding director of APRODH. Both men are tireless defenders of human rights in Burundi, and both are IBJ Country Advisory Members. You can read more about them here, and more about the Burundi Program here.

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Above: Burundi’s vibrant legal community gathered at the training (Photo by Patrick Pratt)

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Above: A glimpse at the mock-trial that took place the last day of the training. (Photo by Patrick Pratt)

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Above: Training participants included military judges, police officers, prison officials and lawyers. (Photo by Patrick Pratt)

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Above: Group discussion at the training. (Photo by Patrick Pratt)