Commission advises paralegals to maintain integrity
Community-based paralegals affiliated to the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of the Archdiocese of Blantyre have been urged to abide by ethics governing the profession.
Speaking on Friday when closing a two-day refresher training for 23 paralegals at Luchenza in Thyolo, CCJP board chairperson John Kuziona said paralegals are not supposed to demand anything from clients as
they are there to work as volunteers.
“Being commissioned as church paralegals is a very noble task which requires your total commitment, humility and voluntarism.
“It goes with the principle of option for the poor in the social teaching of the church, as such, you are commissioned to be ambassadors of the poor people and the voice of the voiceless,” said Kuziona.
He also urged the paralegals to always limit themselves to their parameter of paralegalism without pretending to be lawyers or to have all the solutions to people’s problems.
“Your main task is to advise and civic educate, but not legal representation; refer cases beyond your capacity to other organisations or institutions,” he said.
CCJP paralegal desk officer for the archdiocese Peter Muyaya said the main objective of commissioning paralegals is to bring justice to the rural people who fail to access justice because of poverty and long distance to courts.
“Community-based paralegals take justice to the rural masses, mainly targeting vulnerable women and girls. Unlike primary justice, which targets village tribunals, paralegals target the involved parties to solve issues amicably,” he said.
The paralegal project started in 2013 and it will run for three years in seven districts, namely Mwanza, Blantyre, Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Mulanje, Phalombe and Neno.
