Press Release

State Attorneys Receive Training to Improve Access to Justice

September 10, 2009

Access to justice is a basic human right. Tanzania faces an acute shortage of qualified prosecutors at the district level which results in police acting as prosecutors, a job they are not well prepared to handle.

To address the shortage of prosecutors, improve access to justice for all Tanzanians, and help the nation to advance human rights, the Government of Tanzania launched a “civilianization of prosecution” effort in 2008 designed to place more than 160 trained prosecutors in the field.

With support from the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), newly recruited prosecutors received five weeks of training in 2008 on topics such as preparing legal opinions, anti-corruption, and financial crimes.

Building on the success of this program, USAID and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs have teamed up again to provide further training to 150 State Attorneys on topics ranging from management and supervision skills for Senior State Attorneys to modern criminal prosecution for junior State Attorneys. This extensive program is taking place in Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Mwanza over the next month.

Speaking at the opening of the training program in Arusha on Monday, September 7, 2009, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Mr. Oliver Mhaiki, stated that, “The aim of this training is to prepare the targeted group of Senior State Attorneys to carry out prosecution services in a manner that is fair, effective and efficient… prosecution must be modernized to meet the challenges of today. I am happy to note that this training…covers a range of issues and will help the National Prosecution Service improve the delivery of services that it is responsible for.”