LAB partner deploy Paralegals in Waterloo

LAB partner deploy Paralegals in Waterloo

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has called on the people of Waterloo to complement the efforts of the Legal Aid Board, Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) by reducing the crime rate in their community.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles observed that Waterloo is among areas of the country with the highest crime rate. ‘Most of our clients in the Ross Road Courts in Cline Town in Freetown are from Waterloo and some commit very serious crimes like Sexual Penetration and Wounding with Intent,’ she said.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles delivered the keynote address at the ceremony in which six Paralegals who are part of legal aid project implemented by the Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation (LEWAF) were introduced to the Waterloo Community at the Frandie Hall in Waterloo on Saturday, 18 March 2017.

The project promotes access to justice for women and girls. It is funded by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA)/Open Society Foundations (OSF) under the Legal Empowerment Shared Framework Programme.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles premised her address on the meaning of justice, its importance and progress in promoting access to justice since the establishment of the Legal Aid Board in May 2015. She observed that the challenges Waterloo face in reducing the crime rate and promoting access to justice can be attributed partly to the fact that the area receives little attention from non-governmental organizations compared to other parts of the country. ‘These organizations jump over Waterloo and take assistance to other parts of the country,’ she said.

She noted that progress is being made to address this problem. The Legal Aid Board has already opened an office and have a lawyer stationed in Waterloo. Also, LEWAF is establishing a presence with the deployment of Paralegals and the opening of an office.  This she noted will impact positively on access to justice in the community in terms of response to justice needs in the community, providing assistance to suspects, ensuring the police do their job in a professional and lawful manner, providing legal assistance to clients, legal education through outreach and keeping an eye on the informal justice sector which is access by majority of the people.

She said the Paralegals will reduce tensions in the community by mediating minor cases which would otherwise remain unresolved. This is because they cannot afford to hire a lawyer should the matter be taken to the courts. This causes bad blood which lingers on with unforeseen consequences.  ‘For instance, if a trader is owed Le 500,000 for her palm oil, she would decide not to take the matter to court because she will spend more to hire a lawyer,’ she said. ‘This is how tension builds up in the community and explode into violence.’

Reacting to concerns about continuity upon the expiry of the project, she assured that discussions with donors and stakeholders are already going on to ensure the Paralegals continue to render services when the life of the OSIWA-funded project ends by February 2018. She added that the Board will also recruit more Paralegals for Waterloo.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles was also quick to point out that the people also have part to play to improve access to justice.  She called on them to take the lead in reversing the negative image about the crime rate in Waterloo by becoming advocates for justice.

The Executive Director of Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation, Mohamed Jalloh drew attention to the deprivity and inadequate social amenities in the Waterloo Area. He noted that violence and other forms of human rights abuses are endemic in the Community and majority of the victims are women and girls thus the decision to focus on them. He underlined the challenges women and girls face in accessing justice which he attributed to the cost, illiteracy and lack of a clear understanding of how the system works.

He noted that domestic and gender based violence are rife in the community. He said his Paralegals will work with the police, courts and the community to improve access to justice for women and children. He added that the Paralegals will ensure a swift settlement of minor disputes so that people will not have to resort to the police.

The Chairman of the ceremony, Mr. Lesley Whenzle who was former Headman for Waterloo described Waterloo as unique in the sense that it links the capital Freetown to upcountry. In addition, a lot of villages depend on Waterloo for their livelihood. These include criminals who cause problems including theft and rape. He lamented that teenage pregnancy is also a serious problem. He assured that they will worked with LEWAF to address these challenges.

The Headman for Waterloo, Denise Omojowo Brown said the crime rate shames the authorities in the community. He noted that there have been cases where people have used money to undermine cases of rapes. He urged all to spread the message that every support will be given to LEWAF and its paralegals to ensure money does not stand in the way of access to justice and human rights.

The women’s representative, Yema Conteh who is the Director of Woman 4 Wamen said a lot of women suffer in silence because they cannot afford to access the justice system both in the formal and informal sectors. She said women are having challenges in accessing the justice system because women’s issues are not treated serious.

The representative of the Sierra Leone Police, Edward Senesie of the Waterloo Police Station pledged the commitment of the police in working with LEWAF to promote human rights in the community. Similar sentiments were expressed by Councilor Umar Sesay and Councilor Unisa Kister of the Waterloo community, the Chairman of the Petty Traders Union Albert Tarawally, the Temne Tribal Headman, the representative of the youths, Unisa Kamara and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs.

The ceremony was climaxed with the symbolic presentation of the keys to three motorbikes to the Executive Director of LEWAF, Mohamed Jalloh by the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles. The bikes will be used by the Paralegals to respond to justice needs in the Waterloo Community.