Manual on criminal appeals launched

Maputo, 19 Jun (AIM) – Mozambique’s Attorney General, Américo Letela, has launched the Practical Manual on Criminal Appeals Procedures, an instrument aimed at contributing to the standardization of legal procedures and the processing of criminal appeals.

The document, consisting of 79 pages, is a result of an initiative by magistrates “with extensive experience in criminal appeals and aims to serve as a guide for magistrates, court officials, lawyers and other professionals linked to the area of justice.”

According Letela, speaking during the launch of the instrument, the manual comes at a time when the justice system faces increasingly complex challenges, making the production of practical and specialized knowledge a pressing need.

“This manual constitutes a concrete response to the need to provide clear, updated and accessible guidelines to magistrates, court officials, lawyers and other professionals involved in criminal procedural activity”, he said.

The Attorney General stressed that the appeal process is an essential mechanism for controlling the legality of judicial decisions. “Its correct use contributes to strengthening citizens’ trust in justice institutions, ensuring that decisions are assessed in accordance with the principles of legality, impartiality, and justice”, he said.

He added that the manual will allow for more consistent, efficient, and harmonized action with the constitutional and legal principles governing the country’s justice system.

“It is also a tool of interest to other professionals in the justice administration system, namely judicial magistrates, lawyers, public defenders, criminal investigators, and academics”, he said.

For her part, Patrícia Carrasco, representative of the European Union (EU) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, the manual is crucial for justice service and “we are satisfied with to support the publication of this work within the framework of the Integra Program.”

“Integra Program is an initiative aimed at supporting the prevention and fight against corruption in Mozambique. It is also aimed at supporting the country’s efforts in preventing and combating corruption in the justice sector, contributing to the consolidation of citizens’ trust in public institutions.

(AIM)
MR/Am/