Lawyers in a group photo
Malawi Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) advocates from across the country have been trained on wildlife-related laws and wildlife crime by the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust (LWT).
The training workshop which took place in Lilongwe on Tuesday, targeted lawyers who defend accused persons in these matters to ensure that all accused persons are afforded a fair trial.
Counsel Hannah Supply-Kamange, Head of Law and Policy at LWT has pointed out that wildlife is important in different ways including the boosting of Malawi’s economy, and must be protected.
She has further explained that even when there are still some gaps to be filled, measures have been put in place to protect wildlife.
Acting Director for LAB, Chimwemwe Chithope-Mwale, emphasized in his official opening remarks that there is a requirement for clients to access justice as far as fairness is concerned.
“It is good that this time around you are training advocates from the defense when most times you capacitate the Judiciary and prosecutors. Through these interventions, we will ensure that offenders are punished fairly as justice will be seen to be done,” explained Chithope-Mwale.
He further called on advocates to use the knowledge gained by imparting it to the general public during public awareness campaigns since most people in the villages do not know the laws relating to wildlife crimes.
Presentations made during the workshop centered on the legal and regulatory framework for wildlife crimes in Malawi, recent developments in forestry-related statutes, wildlife and forestry Sentencing Guidelines, and the legal tools for wildlife and forestry crime.
Other participants of the training workshop were from the Women Lawyers Association Malawi, the academia, and the Law Commission. Officials from the LWT believe the training has produced lawyers who are up to date on statutes and tools that may be used when defending their clients facing wildlife crime charges.
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