Mode of operations
Paralegal Advisory Services works with the major criminal justice institutions including Police, DPP’s offices, Magistrates’ Courts, High Court and Prisons on a daily basis. Our participation at the District Coordination Committees as well as close support to and from other legal aid service providers and advocates in the respective districts has helped to lubricate the due process and promote expeditious delivery of services.
suspects, complainants and their relatives will be assisted at police stations to access police bond and divert petty cases through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms out of the formal justice system. PAS will assist pre-trial detainees to secure ordinary and mandatory bail in courts and also trace sureties for them to provide fulfilment of the satisfactory award of bail. Capital offenders will be linked to advocates for representation on pro bono; PAS will also lobby for mini High Court sessions and ensure that the first in, first out principle is adhered to during cause listing for High Court sessions. PAS’ will work in partnership with the Police Child and Family Protection Unit (CFPU), Justice for Children project (J4C) managed by JLOS to expedite delivery of juvenile justice. The advocacy for separation of juveniles from adults in police custody in a number of police stations will be a continuous core intervention area for PAS.
JLOS has put in place operating guidelines for members of the District Coordination Committees (DCCs) and Regional Coordination Committees (RCCs) to operate while administering justice. PAS’ membership on RCCs and DCCs will enable PAS to raise challenges and propose solutions to improve the administration of justice.
As part of providing legal aid to the indigent in the community and a case backlog reduction strategy, the program will implement a civil justice initiative in Busia to divert cases from getting into the formal justice system through mediation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
PAS will participate in fast tracking the enactment of the National Legal Aid Policy and establishment within an independent government institution as a long term measure to sustainable and holistic legal aid provision.
