FOUNDING MEMBERS
The Paralegal Advisory Service Institute (PASI), formerly known as the Paralegal Advisory Service (PAS), is a non-governmental organization that began as a programme of Penal Reform International (PRI) in 2000 and became an independent Malawian legal entity in August 2007.
Initially implemented in cooperation with PRI, the programme provided paralegal services in police stations, courts, and prisons, aiming to bridge the justice gap for people in conflict with the law.
PASI was established as a Trust with the core objective: “to make justice accessible to all people in Malawi by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the justice system and making it responsive to the needs of all users, particularly the poor and vulnerable.”
To achieve this, PASI implements a comprehensive paralegal aid delivery system focused on:
- Providing legal aid at all stages of the criminal justice process, offering basic legal assistance and advice to indigent individuals;
- Training paralegals to support justice service delivery across detention facilities and communities;
- Promoting legal literacy among detainees and the general public;
Advocating for policy and legal reforms, especially of archaic laws that hinder human rights and freedoms of persons in detention; - Conducting research on human rights, with the goal of informing and influencing policy change.
Today, PASI is a leading model of low-cost, community-based legal assistance and a key actor in Malawi’s efforts to promote equitable access to justice for all.
Kituo Cha Sheria – Kenya
Kituo Cha Sheria – Legal Advice Centre (“KITUO”) is a national non-governmental organization established in 1973 to empower the poor and marginalized and to enhance equity and access to justice for all in Kenya. With over 50 years of experience, KITUO draws on a deep understanding of the justice challenges affecting vulnerable groups and remains committed to its vision of “a society of equity and justice for all.”
In line with this vision, KITUO’s mission is “to empower poor and marginalized people to effectively access justice and enjoy their peoples’ and human rights in Kenya through advocacy, networking, lobbying, legal aid education and representation, and research.”
Since its inception, KITUO has made a profound impact on the promotion of access to justice in Kenya—providing direct legal services, strengthening justice institutions, and advancing legal empowerment in marginalized communities.
KITUO runs four key programmes:
- Legal Aid and Education Programme
- Advocacy, Governance and Community Partnerships Programme
- Forced Migration Programme
- Research, Communication and Knowledge Management Programme
Legal Aid Forum – Rwanda
The Legal Aid Forum (LAF) is Rwanda’s leading non-state provider of legal aid services. Established in 2006, LAF operates as a membership-based network comprising 38 national and international NGOs, professional associations, universities, legal aid clinics, and faith-based organizations.
LAF is dedicated to enhancing access to justice for indigent and vulnerable communities through the delivery of high-quality legal aid services. To ensure these services are accessible, LAF employs various legal empowerment strategies, including mobile legal aid clinics and a toll-free legal aid call center.
In addition to service delivery, LAF undertakes research and legal analysis to inform advocacy for legal and policy reforms. The organization also builds the capacity of justice sector actors and human rights defenders on topics ranging from legal frameworks to international standards on access to justice, human rights, and the rule of law.
LAF serves as the convener and chair of the Rwanda Civil Society Coalition on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), playing a key role in enhancing the capacity of civil society organizations to integrate and follow up on international human rights recommendations for improved human rights outcomes in Rwanda.
LAF’s work is guided by four strategic objectives:
- Community legal empowerment
- Knowledge management
- Human rights promotion and protection
- Institutional development
The Legal Aid Forum is the host of the ACE-AJ secretariat.
Timap for Justice – Sierra Leone
Established in 2003, Timap for Justice was the first paralegal network in Sierra Leone. After more than a decade, Timap’s philosophy of inclusion and ownership remains unchanged: all Sierra Leoneans can contribute to – and benefit from – better access to justice. Timap continues to work with local communities, traditional authorities, and government institutions. Timap’s Model responds to the complexities of Sierra Leone’s dualist legal structure and shortage of practicing lawyers by employing community-based paralegals. Recruited from local communities and trained by seasoned lawyers, they operate with the sanction of the governing chiefs and traditional leaders. In civil justice cases, the paralegals receive individual cases, educate clients on legal recourse options, provide dispute resolutions services where appropriate, and conduct follow up. Concurrently, they organize community dialogue meetings and mobile clinics in order to identify, address, and educate on community-wide justice issues. For criminal justice cases, the paralegals rotate among the police stations, courts, and correctional centers in order to assist detainees with issues such as bail or legal representation. In cases of severe injustice, paralegals refer cases for litigation. Timap selects cases that have the potential to set important precedents, especially those involving vulnerable individuals.
Community Advice Offices South Africa (CAOSA) – South Africa
CAOSA is the national coordinating body of the Community Advice Office Sector in South Africa. Our complement of Community-based advice offices members throughout South Africa provides primary legal and socio-economic services to vulnerable and indigent communities.
The Community Advice Office sector in South Africa boasts a rich history, dating back to the 1950s. In the pre-democracy dispensation these advice offices were the first port of call for marginalized South Africans, especially those detained and harassed. They continue, to this day, to be spaces wherein a majority of the population, on account of inequality and poverty, are afforded the dignity of enforcing their basic human rights.
As the coordinating body, our core work is around strengthening the capacity of Community Advice Offices, mobilizing resources for the sector, enabling regulatory measures for the sector to be developed, and enhancing the voice and advocacy of the CAO sector.