Timap for Justice: A Paralegal Approach to Justice Services in Sierra Leone

In the book, Access to Justice in Africa and Beyond: Making the Rule of Law a Reality, criminal justice practitioners from around the world explore practical ways of delivering legal aid in criminal justice matters to the poorest sectors of African and other developing societies. They articulate a broad and inclusive definition of legal aid, call on governments, in partnership with civil society, to provide legal aid at all stages in the criminal justice process, to recognise the role of informal means of conflict resolution, including traditional forums, to diversify legal aid service providers, and to encourge legal empowerment of all citizens. The book also contains the Lilongwe Declaration on Accessing Legal Aid in the Criminal Justice System in Africa and the Lilongwe Plan of Action, as well as excerpts from other key international declarations and guidelines pertaining to the treatment of ordinary people caught up in the criminal justice system. Vivek Maru’s chapter discusses Timap for Justice, and the organization’s efforts to provide justice services in Sierra Leone through paralegals (pages 139-144).