Brief abstracts of conference sessions will be listed here once the final program has been confirmed.
Title: Furthering the rights of the incarcerated through Street Law: Perspectives from Zimbabwe
Lead Presenter: Hamadziripi, Chengetai Euphemia
Co-Presenters:
- Mlambo, Chiedza Pauline
Session Abstract: Over the years, the importance of using clinical methodologies to promote justice has been increasingly recognized. Clinical legal education has been defined as “experiential learning whereby students gain practical skills and deliver legal services in a social justice environment.” Members of the society who would not have been able to engage the services of a lawyer benefit from the implementation of clinical legal education projects. This presentation focuses specifically on how street law projects and Zimbabwe have the potential of furthering the rights of incarcerated persons. In Zimbabwe, various studies have documented the plight in which persons find themselves after they are incarcerated. Prisons conditions are harsh, with many persons being subjected to lengthy pre- trial incarceration periods. This is not withstanding the fact that Section 50 (6) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment no.13 of 2013) which provides that any person detained pending trial must be tried within a reasonable time. The fact that a person has committed a crime and is incarcerated does not rob them of their dignity and of their basic fundamental rights. Law Clinicians practicing at Midlands State University (Zimbabwe) and Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (Zimbabwe) identified this societal need and are developing a street law project to educate prisoners on their basic fundamental rights, with a specific focus on bail. The presenters will share the legal literacy materials they have developed. They will also share the key participatory teaching methods they are using to train their students in order to equip them to carry out this street law project. The hope is that in sharing their experiences, the presenters will receive value feedback which they can implement to further enrich their respective street law project.
Session Material:
See full list of abstracts here.