Training for Lawyers

On 13 and 14 December 2013, two days training for lawyers who are providing legal aid to the survivors of human trafficking was accomplished. The main objective of the training was to inform the participants about the role of lawyers in ensuring survivor's confidentiality, sensitively managing survivors' and witnesses psychosocial needs, update the supreme court's verdict on human trafficking cases as well as "UN and SAARC conventions related to human trafficking. A total of 22 persons including district lawyers from 6 CTIP implementing partners and persecution partners of CTIP program participated in the training. The training too became a forum for the participants to share best practices and challenges they faced.

 

The two days training has been effective to discuss on the aspects and importance of victim legal aid. Almost all the participants who are working to provide legal aid to the survivors through this forum got the opportunity to discuss the achievements so far made and challenges/gaps to provide legal aid to the survivors' of human trafficking and also ways to overcome these challenges.

 

The participants said that the success rate of human trafficking cases have increased with the support from CTIP program as it is providing free legal aid and legal counseling to the survivors and witnesses. Decrease on the rates of survivors being hostile, better coordination among the stakeholders, witnessed landmark decisions on human trafficking cases and complaints registration of human trafficking for illegal kidney transplant are the positive initiative the CTIP program has achieved till date shared the training participants.

 

Forming a network of legal aid providing organizations at the district level, advocating for the allocation of fund for victims' legal aid and establishment of better coordination among the stakeholders are the future action plan the participants developed for the sustainability of victim's legal aid.

 

The participants of the training acknowledged that they had the opportunity to receive knowledge on new jurisprudence, judicial response, victim's justice system and also committed to use it in their court practices. The participants were of the view that the practicing lawyers from out of the valley can benefit more from this kind of training and enhance their knowledge especially on victim legal aid. Thus, such type of training should be conducted frequently.