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Restoring the rule of law: Judicial Systems Monitors
 "I employ the diplomatic and persuasion skills that I learnt in law school to convince the officials to do the right thing in the right manner," says UNV volunteer Judicial Systems Monitor Ann Nyambura Kithaka. (UNV) "UNV volunteers must make a difference in his or her job to affect the order of things and the lives of the people we serve," says UNV volunteer Judicial Systems Monitor Eric Delanyo Alifo. (UNV)Justice is a keystone in building sustainable peace and democracy. UNV volunteer Judicial Systems Monitors bring wide-ranging expertise and a hands-on attitude to countries where the rule of law must be restored: only then can peace and human rights be fully secured. "Access to justice is a multifaceted phenomena," says UNV volunteer Ann Nyambura Kithaka who works with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). "It can refer to the physical infrastructure such as good courtrooms, qualified court personnel or even the systems and procedures employed by these gatekeepers to justice." The day-to-day activities of a Judicial Systems Monitor role are akin to those of a legal consultant, expands Eric Delanyo Alifo, another UNV volunteer Judicial Systems Monitor with UNMIL. His work includes consultation with party litigants, prosecuting and defence attorneys, judges and magistrates, court staff, legal professionals, and various officials working in the law enforcement agencies of Liberia. "Reports generated by judicial system monitors largely constitute the bases upon which the United Nations makes recommendations to host governments for reforms and changes in the delivery of justice in those nations," he adds. Like Civil Affairs Officers, Judicial Systems Monitors are never confined to their desks, often traversing the country to meet people face-to-face. "I am always on the move," says Mr. Alifo, "speaking to rape victims and their families to come to court to help the state to prosecute alleged rapists." Judicial Systems Monitors can make a tangible difference to individual lives too. Eric Delanyo Alifo seeks to change attitudes as well as verdicts, speaking out again collusion between the families of victims and perpetrators. Ann Kithaka gives the example of a woman she helped set free after months of wrongful incarceration. "This and other cases add spice to my life; they give me reason to continue monitoring and observing the justice system in motion," she says. Ms. Kithaka adds that the human touch is just as essential as a sound legal mind. "I find that listening skills, interpersonal skills and report-writing skills are invaluable to me," she says. And she can clearly see how her work makes a distinctive contribution to the UN's mission. "Being a social justice activist, I have this firm belief that access to quality justice is the bedrock to peace and development," she concludes. Read Eric Delanyo Alifo's case here Read Ann Nyambura Kithaka's case here See also Djibo Abdou's contribution in Haiti (in French) |