Tanzania signs MoU to streamline provision of legal aid for inmates

DODOMA: THE Tanzanian government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving access to justice for prisoners and remand inmates through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs to strengthen the provision of legal aid in prisons.

Speaking on October 2, during the signing ceremony, Minister for Home Affairs Patrobas Katambi said the agreement would help ensure that prisoners and remand inmates receive legal assistance and have their constitutional rights protected.

He said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to upholding the right to a fair trial and ensuring that all citizens have access to justice, as provided for under Article 13(6) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Katambi commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan for establishing the Presidential Commission on Criminal Justice Reform to review the country’s legal systems and recommend measures to improve the administration of justice.

He also praised the President for introducing the Samia Legal Aid initiative, which has facilitated legal aid clinics across the country. He said the programme had reached all 31 regions, benefiting more than one million people in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

The minister said the new agreement would formalise cooperation between the two ministries, enabling lawyers to provide legal assistance to prisoners and remand inmates, including helping them understand their cases, prepare their defence and identify relevant evidence.

He noted that some people had been imprisoned because they lacked adequate legal representation and the ability to present evidence and documents effectively in court.

Katambi said access to legal aid could help address such challenges by enabling inmates to seek reviews of their cases or pursue appeals where necessary.

He stressed that the quality of evidence, witness testimony and supporting documents was more important than the quantity, adding that proper legal guidance was essential in ensuring that cases were handled fairly.

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The minister further observed that some people lost cases because of procedural technicalities rather than the merits of their claims, calling for legal procedures to serve the interests of justice rather than become obstacles to it.

He assured the Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs that the Ministry of Home Affairs would work diligently to implement the agreement, saying the initiative would benefit Tanzanians by strengthening access to justice and protecting the rights of prisoners and remand inmates.