Over 50 lawyers acquire skills on human rights, justice access

DODOMA: MORE than 50 lawyers and legal practitioners from across the country have completed a two-day intensive training in human rights law aimed at enhancing access to justice through a rights-based approach.

The training was organised by the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) in collaboration with the East Africa Law Society (EALS), the Zanzibar Female Lawyers Association (ZAFELA), the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) and the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS).

Held under the Strengthening Civic Actors in Tanzania (SCATZ) project and funded by the European Union (EU), the training kicked off earlier this week, focusing on building the capacity of human rights lawyers to effectively deliver justice in line with national, regional and international legal standards.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, THRDC National Coordinator, Advocate Onesmo Olengurumwa, said the goal of the training was to empower legal professionals with the necessary tools to uphold the rule of law, professional ethics and equal access to justice.

“The sessions are designed to strengthen lawyers’ capacity to apply relevant legal instruments, especially in addressing justice needs of communities using international human rights mechanisms,” he explained.

Advocate Olengurumwa also underlined the importance of collaboration between civil society, legal associations and government institutions in the promotion of human rights and good governance.

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“The SCATZ project embodies this spirit of cooperation and legal readiness, especially as Tanzania prepares for the 2025 General Election,” he noted, calling on lawyers to be proactive in identifying and addressing legal challenges before, during and after the polls.

The training provided a platform for in-depth discussions on key issues such as Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the role of legal associations in advancing human rights cases and the application of international and regional human rights treaties.

It also tackled ethical standards for lawyers in the digital era, including conduct on social media platforms.

Among the notable speakers were retired High Court judges Justice Robert Makaramba and Justice Fauz Twaibu, who delivered expert presentations alongside legal professionals from TLS, EALS, ZAFELA and PALU.

This initiative is part of THRDC’s broader Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programme, which aims to promote and sustain human rights knowledge among legal practitioners throughout Tanzania.