MoU for improved speedy justice inked
LINEO MALATALIANA
MASERU – The Office of the Ombudsman and the Law Society of Lesotho have entered into an understanding that will see to improved justice delivery to the disadvantaged on Tuesday. “Today marks an important milestone in our collective pursuit of justice, accountability, and the rule of law,” Law Society president, Advocate Lintle Tuke, said at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Advocate Tlotliso Polaki signed for the Ombudsman’s office and the advocate signed for Law Society. Advocate Tuke said the signing of the MOU between the two offices solidifies their commitment to fostering a law system that is fair, transparent and accessible for all. The president showed that this collaboration is “built on a shared idea of ensuring that justice delivery is an entity that is visibly done.”
He asserted that the partnership is aimed to enhance legal services and improve access to justice and provide necessary legal support to the most vulnerable members of society. “Through this MoU, we reaffirm our responsibility to serve the people of Lesotho with integrity and diligence,” Tuke said.
The president further indicated that he has seen to it that through this MOU, law practitioners in the country will volunteer pro bono hours on working on cases that affect those who cannot afford legal representation. The president highlighted that this alliance will have a long lasting impact on Lesotho’s legal landscape.
“We look forward to the tangible outcomes of this partnership and thank all stakeholders who have made this collaboration possible,” Tuke said.
The Ombudsman said that the MOU serves as a commitment to working with Law Society particularly where their mandates intersect. The MOU will serve to see to it that “delays in the dispensation of justice are curbed and facilitate the referral of un-sustained complaints from underserved or marginalised groupings in society are attended to for timely assistance and resolution,” Polaki said.
The Ombudsman pointed out that as the two offices acknowledge their roles in promoting the observance of the rule of law and advancement of human rights, they commit to fostering relations that will enhance efficiency and effectiveness in improving access to legal services for all citizens.
This partnership, according to Polaki, will enrich their investigative capacity by
allowing greater collaboration and sharing of expertise. “In our quest of broadening our scope, we will be engaged more aggressively in promoting advocacy through public awareness initiatives on citizens’ rights, legal matters and the roles of the parties in safeguarding justice and accountability for enhanced visibility,” Polaki said.
The Law Society president and his team, we are quite excited about the affiliation and wished to openly indicate their pledge to ensuring that its aim is achieved without any interruptions.
“I thank you for your visionary leadership and your willingness to walk this journey with us. To my office, I laud your openness to embrace the strategic partnership as a vessel that grants us an opportunity to take the institution to a greater trajectory,” the Ombudsman said.
Polaki also indicated the MOU will be effective for a period of five and has a clause of automatic renewal after a month of completion if there are no quarries in its regard.
