LSF provides legal aid to 175 people in Dar

Dar es Salaam. Legal Services Facility (LSF) has revealed that it provided legal assistance to 175 people during the Legal Aid week held in Dar es Salaam.

The Legal Aid Week, which began on Sunday, January 22, 2023 ends today, an event that brought together judges and attorneys from across the country.

LSF’s Chief Executive Officer Ms Lulu Ng'wanakilala said LSF has been cooperating with the courts' system as a means of providing and promoting access to justice in Tanzania and helping citizens get their rights.

“The Legal Aid Week has been important for us as stakeholders in the justice system because through legal assistants we have been able to provide free legal services to citizens who visited our pavilion totaling 175 people of which 73 were men and 102 were women,” she said.

According to her, some of the cases that people needed assistance with include marriage disputes, child care, inheritance, and land disputes.

An arbitrator from the High Court of Tanzania Jug. Dr. Zainab Diwa said that current courts are overwhelmed with ongoing proceedings, which require evidence before a decision can be made, a process that takes a long time, unlike mediation.

“The mediation process does not take long, it takes only 30 days. This is in accordance with our constitution Article 107A(1)(d),” she said.

Speaking on behalf of other legal assistants sponsored by LSF, Anthony Isakwi has said that mediation has also been a key tool for civil cases in solving many disputes.

“Civil cases are the most likely to be arbitrated. Criminal cases, however, such as sexual violence and others, are handled through cooperation with other stakeholders and brought to court, where justice can be served.