Maputo, 08 Oct (AIM) – The Mozambican Bar Association (OAM) and the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) have agreed to strengthen cooperation on professional training in order to speed up the processing of criminal cases.
The agreement also provides for joint training to update the knowledge and strengthen the skills of professionals from both institutions, against the backdrop of increasingly complex challenges facing the justice system.
According to Joaquim Balaze, head of the OAM Provincial Council in Maputo, speaking during a working visit to the SERNIC headquarters, the training will cover areas of common interest, including lawyers’ professional prerogatives, combating the unlawful practice of law and the limits of lawyers’ activities during the investigation phase of criminal proceedings.
“SERNIC, the Attorney General’s Office and the Bar Association share the common objective of ensuring citizens’ access to justice, making closer institutional communication essential to resolving problems that arise during criminal proceedings”, he said.
He also called for greater speed in processing cases and for lawyers to be guaranteed access to their clients held at police stations.
The Bar Association also raised concerns over the notification of clients, arguing that “notifications should, whenever possible, be made through formal channels rather than by text message or telephone call.”
The two institutions also discussed the creation of focal points to facilitate communication, monitor commitments and help implement decisions resulting from the cooperation.
Simbine highlighted the need to combat the unlawful practice of law and proposed that the OAM provide SERNIC with updated lists of lawyers who are duly registered and in good professional standing.
“Being duly registered is not enough. It may happen that a lawyer has paid their fees but is suspended for various reasons,” Simbine explained, recalling that the Bar Association had previously provided lists showing the professional status of lawyers.
Such updated information, he said, would make it easier to verify lawyers’ professional status and help reduce cases of unlawful practice of law.
(AIM)
Zt/Am/
