This seminar is being held as part of the Íntegra Programme - Support for the Fight against Corruption in Mozambique, funded by the European Union and implemented and co-funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and forms part of activities aimed at strengthening institutional capacity. This event is organised jointly by Components 1 - Strengthening judicial institutions to prevent and combat corruption and bring corruption cases to trial, and 2 - Support for the involvement of professional associations within the Justice sector, civil society, and the media in anti-corruption initiatives.

Knowledge of one’s rights and access to the institutions of the Justice Administration System (SAJ) are fundamental pillars of the democratic rule of law. However, for a significant proportion of the population, justice services are perceived as complex, distant and difficult to understand. Technical procedures, specialised legal language, and the multitude of institutions with distinct remits tend to create obstacles to the exercise of citizens’ rights and to access to SAJ institutions. Furthermore, professionals working in the justice sector face growing challenges related to the need to provide clear information, ensure accessible services, and foster closer relationships with citizens. At a time when there are ever-increasing demands for transparency, efficiency and quality in public services, communication between institutions and citizens takes on particular strategic importance.

It is based on these principles that, within part of the ÍNTEGRA Project, the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra, through its Permanent Observatory for Justice (OPJ) - as the body responsible for implementing the project’s activities - has drawn up the Justice Guides for Citizens and for Legal Professionals. These tools aim to help improve access to legal and institutional information and, consequently, to the institutions of justice; to promote a better understanding of the remit and functioning of the institutions within the Justice System (SAJ); and to strengthen transparency mechanisms and citizens’ trust in these institutions.

The Practical Guide to Justice - Know Your Rights and the Practical Guide for Legal Professionals have been designed as accessible and user-friendly reference tools for citizens and justice service professionals. To ensure wide dissemination and facilitate access to information, the Guides are available in digital format and can be accessed in two ways:

• directly via the ÍNTEGRA Project’s website, for online reading, allowing quick and targeted access to the content from computers, tablets or mobile phones with an internet connection;
• or downloaded free of charge in PDF format from the same website, allowing them to be used offline, printed or shared with other users. The Guides are available in PDF format to facilitate their use in situations with limited internet access, thereby contributing to broader geographic and social access to information.
   

Objectives

This seminar has two main objectives: a) to highlight the importance of developing tools that enhance awareness of rights; bring citizens closer to the institutions of the justice system; and to promote a culture of service that is more accessible, transparent and citizen-centred; b) to publicise and disseminate the aforementioned Justice Guides for Citizens and for Leagl Professionals, thereby promoting awareness of rights, relevant information and the mechanisms for exercising them.

Specific Objectives

• To disseminate the contents of the Practical Guide to Justice - Know Your Rights and the Practical Guide for Legal Professionals
• To raise citizens’ awareness of their rights and duties when interacting with the justice system;
• To promote a culture of service delivery that is more efficient, transparent and more committed to citizens’ rights;
• To strengthen communication between institutions and citizens;
• To encourage the practical use of the Guides by different target audiences.

Target Audience

The seminar is aimed at a diverse range of audiences, with a particular focus on civil society organisations, journalists, legal professionals and the general public. This diverse audience aims to foster interaction between those who provide justice services and those who require them, promoting a more inclusive, collaborative approach geared towards improving access to the institutions of the justice system in Mozambique.
 

Metodologia

Este Seminário será realizado em formato virtual, através da plataforma Zoom, permitindo a participação de cidadãos, representantes da sociedade civil, associações profissionais e operadores da justiça de diferentes regiões do país. A participação será efetuada através de link de acesso disponibilizado antecipadamente aos participantes inscritos. Esta modalidade pretende facilitar uma ampla participação geográfica, promover a inclusão de diferentes públicos.

A metodologia do Seminário combina dois tipos de painéis que se complementam: 1) um primeiro painel, com a intervenção de três oradores, sobre a relevância, em Moçambique, de instrumentos que promovam a interacção entre os cidadãos e as instituições do sistema de administração da justiça, considerando as fragilidades de acesso e de conhecimento de direitos, seguindo-se um espaço de debate aberto; 2) um segundo painel, com intervenção de dois oradores, focado na apresentação e disseminação dos Guias de Justiça, como facilitadores do conhecimento dos direitos, do acesso às instituições do sistema de administração da justiça, de promoção da transparência institucional e de prevenção de práticas anti-éticas.

Os participantes serão orientados sobre como aceder aos Guias através do portal do Projeto ÍNTEGRA e mediante descarregamento das versões eletrónicas em formato PDF, incentivando-se a sua utilização futura como instrumentos de consulta e orientação.

Methodology

This seminar will be held online via Zoom, enabling citizens, representatives of civil society, professional associations, and legal practitioners from different regions of the country to participate. Participants will be able to join via an access link provided in advance to registered participants. This format is intended to facilitate broad geographical participation and promote the inclusion of different audiences.

The seminar’s methodology combines two complementary types of panel sessions: 1) a first panel, featuring three speakers, on the importance in Mozambique of tools that promote interaction between citizens and the institutions of the justice system, taking into account the shortcomings in access to and awareness of rights, followed by an open discussion; 2) a second panel, featuring two speakers, focused on the presentation and dissemination of the Justice Guides, as tools to facilitate awareness of rights, access to institutions within the justice system, the promotion of institutional transparency and the prevention of unethical practices.

Participants will be given guidance on how to access the Guides via the ÍNTEGRA Project portal and by downloading the electronic versions in PDF format; they will be encouraged to use them in future as reference and guidance tools.

Registration is compulsory