The Ministry of Justice and the UNDP Convene a Two Day Training Workshop

17-18، 1395Aqrab

A two day training workshop on Rapid Access to Legal Assistance and the Role of Judicial and Justice Institutions was convened by the Ministry of Justice and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Sayed Mohammad Hashimi, the Deputy Minister of Justice, expressing his gratitude to the Afghans Access to Justice Project, said: “Having a defense attorney, is one of the basic rights of suspects and accused people, and considered one of the main components of the just trial. Defending their rights through access to legal assistance in the criminal justice system, in accordance with the guiding principles of the United Nations, ratified in July, 2012, is considered among the basic human rights. Also, the Article 14 of the international convention on civil and political rights, adopted in 1966, in which Afghanistan also has accession to it, the right to have a defense attorney has been regarded as a fundamental component of the human rights and the main pillar of the just trial”.

The Deputy Minister of Justice added, “On the basis of Article 13 of the Afghan Constitution, “Every individual can appoint a defense attorney upon arrest, or to prove truth. In criminal cases, the state shall appoint a defense attorney for the indigent people. Confidentiality of conversations, correspondence, and communications between the accused and their attorney shall be secure from any kind of violation. The duties and powers of defense attorneys shall be regulated by the law”.Based on this article of the Afghan Constitution, the Defense Lawyers Act and the Regulation of the Legal Assistance has been regulated and enforced. These national and international documentselucidate the eminence of the status of the defense attorneys/lawyers”.

The following issues were discussed in the trainingin groups:

• International frameworks of the legal assistance;
• Benefits of the rapid access to legal assistance for the suspects and accused;
• Further benefits of the rapid access to legal assistance to people, courts, prisons, prosecutors, and families;
• Legal assistance for the victims and the witnesses;
• Challenges and obstacles of the rapid access before the legal assistance; and
•  The right to access to legal assistance and the role of legal assistants, defense attorneys, police and other investigating agencies, prosecutors and judges were discussed in the rapid access to legal assistance.

Mr. RoohullahQazizadah, Director General of the Independent Association of the Defense Attorneys of Afghanistan, MS Dane Dell Rio, Head of Rule of Law and Human Security of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Mr. AssadullahWahdat, Director General of the Legal Assistance of the Ministry of Justice, representatives of the Supreme Court, Attorney General’s office, Ministry of Interior Affairs, participated, who spoke on importance of the rapid access to legal assistance and role of justice and judicial institutions in providing legal assistance, respectively.

The Ministry of Justice has assigned legal assistants in 34 provinces. Also, in 21 provinces, has employed defense attorneys through the National Justice and Judicial Program to provide legal assistance.