(Monday 24th August 2009 issue)
Another capacity-building workshop was over the weekend wrapped up for another batch of 15 police prosecutors and investigators. This follows the training of 20 others last week on the criminal delivery system.

The workshop organised by LCBP and funded by the Legal Capacity Building Programme (LCBP) Department for International Development (DFID), offers police prosecutors and investigators a unique education to enhance effective justice delivery in The Gambia.

DFID is the part of the UK government that manages Britain’s aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty. The LCBP Phase II started in 2008 and will run up to 2011.

The LCBP is supporting institutions, including the Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary, the Bar Association and some stakeholders like the police prosecutors, with a view to bring justice to the doorsteps of the poor.

Topics discussed were criminal prosecutions (preparatory and trial stages), presiding over a criminal case, defending a criminal case, the rights of the accused person, the role of the investigative police officer in the criminal justice delivery and challenges of police prosecutors.

Mr. Sanna Dahaba, LCBP’s Phase II Project Co-ordinator explained that the objective of DFID’s support is to ensure that the Gambian legal system is strengthened through the introduction of incremental reforms that will improve efficiency and effectiveness, adding that this will better ensure access to justice for the poor.

“This training seminar is to develop the capacities of the police prosecutors and investigators through providing continuing legal education that will enhance effective justice delivery in The Gambia,” he said.

For his part, Mr. Robert Hutley, LCPB’s Project Manager stated that the training will upscale the scope of prosecutors in strengthening capacities and building confidence in the area of prosecution.

He assured that the LCBP will continue to assist the police prosecution, through the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the justice delivery system is strengthened in such a way that it would adequately respond to the needs of the people.