Training on Public Interest Litigation for Lawyers and Human Rights Defenders in Swaziland

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Lawyers for Human Rights Swaziland (LHR(S), Lawyers for Human Rights South Africa (LHR), and Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) organised a training on strategic litigation for lawyers and human rights defenders from 6-7 November 2015 in Ezulwini, Swaziland. The training was intended to empower Swazi lawyers and human rights defenders with tools for legal empowerment through litigation. Further the training provided an opportunity for introducing the participants to international, regional and domestic mechanisms for strategic litigation and analysis of strategic litigation cases, opportunities and challenges in Swaziland.

Participants were drawn from different private law firms, human rights organisations, and the office of the Attorney General and women’s rights organisations. To nurture regional peer learning and approaches the President of the Law Society of Lesotho Advocate Shale gave the key note presentation borrowing on lessons from other regions and Lesotho. Resources persons included Mr. David Cote (LHR), Ms. Caroline James (SALC), Mr. Otto Saki (ICJ) and Mr. Thabiso Mavuso (Swaziland). The expected impact is that increasingly lawyers and human rights defenders will take up strategic litigation as part of contributing to the achievement of systemic change and positive enforcement of fundamental rights and freedoms. This training was held with the generous support of the European Union (EU) through the EU Delegation to Swaziland.

Contact
Arnold Tsunga, ICJ Regional Director for Africa, t: +27 73 131 8411, e: arnold [dot] tsunga [at] icj [dot] org
Mandla Mkhwanazi LHR Swaziland Chairperson, t: +268 7602 6320, e: m [dot] z [dot] mkhwanazi [at] swazi [dot] net
Caroline James, Lawyer, Southern Africa Litigation Centre t: 27 72 200 1813, e: CarolineJ [at] salc [dot] org [dot] za
David Cote, Programme Manager: Strategic Litigation Programme, LHR (South Africa) t: +27 11 339 1960, e: david [at] lhr [dot] org [dot] za