to enable them effectively promote social justice and enhance the criminal justice system at the community level.
The group of 35 defenders from 16 justice centers across Nairobi were trained by the International Justice Mission (IJM) in partnership with the Social Justice Centers Working Group and later issued certificates as Community Legal Volunteers.
The main aim of this program was to equip community-based grassroots HRDs with basic and relevant legal training so they can protect people living in poverty, and enhance the criminal justice system at the community level.
The defenders, who will work closely with communities, had the opportunity to visit and attend court sessions at Kibera Law Courts and Makadara Law Courts, as part of their training.
They also visited and had sessions with commanders from Huruma and Kabete Police stations.
IJM Country Director Benson Shamala said the initiative was aimed at ensuring a strengthened and effective justice system that protects people who are vulnerable, to violence.
He added that IJM was committed to championing policy and system reforms by collaborating with state and non-state agencies such as the police, the Director of Public Prosecution, IPOA, and other human rights and civil society organizations both at the national level and community levels.
In the last two decades, IJM has supported the criminal justice system to protect survivors of violence in Nairobi and Kiambu Counties by legally representing young people against police abuse of power and sexual violence against children.
