Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Abdul Rashid Thomas
Published on 2024-03-14 11:16:45
The recent Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting in Zanzibar concluded with a package of new measures and pledges aimed at improving access to justice for millions of citizens across the Commonwealth. This four-day meeting involved input from various stakeholders, including people with disabilities, civil society representatives, and legal industry innovators.
One of the key focuses of the package is on removing barriers to access to justice and addressing the legal needs of all citizens. Some of the provisions include improved access to justice for people with disabilities, a model law on virtual assets, an action plan to protect women from online violence, and a proposal to eliminate gender-discriminatory legislation.
In addition to these measures, the ministers welcomed new Commonwealth legal resources such as a mediation guide, a small claims court app for dispute resolution, and a database for cooperation on criminal matters. They also adopted Commonwealth guidelines on the treatment of electronic evidence in criminal proceedings to provide a framework for member countries to develop national legislation.
To ensure the effective implementation of these measures, the ministers have requested the Commonwealth Law Ministers Action Group to report progress at the next meeting. The outcome statement issued by the ministers at the end of their meeting highlighted the importance of these measures in providing equal access to justice for the 2.5 billion people living in the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, emphasized the critical nature of these measures, noting that two-thirds of the world’s population currently lack meaningful access to justice. She expressed optimism in the progress made at the meeting and the potential for further steps towards equal access to justice for all Commonwealth citizens.
The meeting, hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania and chaired by Hon Ambassador Dr Pindi H. Chana, received praise for its substantive outcomes. H.E. Hussein Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar, acknowledged the achievements of the meeting and highlighted the importance of reforms to ensure justice is accessible to all, including through digitization efforts.
The outcomes from the meeting will set the agenda for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa later this year. The next meeting of Commonwealth Law Ministers is scheduled to be hosted by the Government of Fiji in February 2026.
Overall, the measures and pledges agreed upon at the Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting in Zanzibar signify a significant step towards improving access to justice for millions of citizens across the Commonwealth and ensuring that justice for all is a lived experience for every individual in the region.
Read the original article on Sierra Leone Telegraph
