Arusha legal Aid clinic is a non-profit law practice serving the public interest. The Clinic operates as a sub office under the Legal and Human Rights Centre and   provides free legal aid.

The main objective for the establishment of the Arusha office is to improve access to justice for the poor in Tanzania in order to develop and come up with an advocacy strategy where clients who cannot afford legal assistance and those with human rights issues can enjoy free legal aid services.  

The Arusha sub office provides a room for scholars and it has an open min library that serves different publications, reports and literatures, but mainly based on human rights. The clinic provides assistance to students to volunteer, work on internship; research, draft legal documents, and to attend clients.

The clinic is meant to be a model legal aid clinic and operates through units in serving clients. There are four units at the clinic namely Family Unit, Employment Unit, Land Unit and Civil Unit and one sub-unit namely Admission.

This is what we do
 

NETWORKING

The Arusha sub office strives to increase awareness and capacity among Legal Aid Providers. Notably, the sub office is coordinates the forthcoming National Legal Aid Network (under TLS/LSRP) on issues concerning:-

i) Strategic cases

ii) Access to justice

iii) Form and contents of the Legal Aid Clinic.

OUTREACH

When violations of human rights are reported to the office and more especially when the scene of event is the northern zone and when there is a case that requires the clinic to satisfy itself with concrete facts the clinic will conduct:

i) Fact findings

ii) Follow-ups

iii) Site visit

With these outreaches our officers manage to reach at the crime scene/event scene and see what exactly happened and come up with recommendations report with facts for further proceedings.

LEGAL AID AND ADVOCACY

Our basic responsibility is to identify legal gaps/shortcomings for changes through research, advocacy and strategic litigation of public interest cases.  It is through strategic litigation or public interest cases where we can provide Free Legal Aid services.  The clinic provides services   from Monday from 8:30 am to 12:00 noon, save for Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday

OUR UNITS

As noted earlier, there are four (4) units at the clinic namely Family Unit, Employment Unit, Land Unit and Civil Unit and one sub-unit namely Admission.  The Arusha sub office runs a project called Working together for Decent work in East Africa.  The following are the duties under each unit:

 ADMISSION

This is the first stage that a client enters for questioning and examination before being registered. In this room the officer will run a means to evaluate on whether a client deserves to be admitted for free legal aid.

In order for a client to qualify for the admission he/she must declare the:

i) Financial status (through a means test). If the income will be proven to be  enough to hire an Advocate, the client will not be admitted for our services unless the matter needs attention and it captures human rights issues that needs our attention

ii) Nature of the subject matter (for advocacy), this is when a client brings issues in need to be pursued for advocacy, termed as strategic cases.

All clients must pass through this stage before they are assigned to a lawyer, and after the admission, a client can precede to the proper unit depending on the nature of his/her problem. For instance; if it is child maintenance, then the client will be directed to the Family Unity.

LAND UNIT

The unit deals with all matters arising from land conflicts and disputes. Most of our clients are reported to have land conflicts compared to other problems. The most prevalent issues reported by clients are among others

i.Divorce/separation

ii. Boundaries conflicts

iii.Land Matters arising from probate

iv. Transfer of land by authority that affects residents

v.Interpretation of land laws by Local government authority vs. The council.

PROBATE AND FAMILY UNITY

This unit deals with all matters arising from Family and probate & administration of estates. Many of our clients are reported to have family conflicts and it is a second unity in admitting a higher number of clients especially women. Most reported issues in this unit are; i.Divorce/separation ii.Child maintenance iii.Custody of the child iv.Inheritance and estates issues v.Parenting (fatherhood)

CIVIL UNIT

Civil Unit deals with all matters arising from civil except labour and employment. The most prevalent issues reported under this desk are among others; insurance, compensations, tort, and contracts.

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT

This Unit deals specifically with all matters arising from Labour relations and employment. The most common issues that clients report on among others are; summary dismissal, unlawful termination, breach of employment contracts, salary delays, and other labour relations issues.

Contact Us

ARUSHA OFFICE

Olerian, Olosiva

 Street plot No. 116/5

 Sakina Kwa Idd,

Arumeru

P.o.Box 15243 Arusha Tanzania

Tell: +255 27 2544187

Email: lhrcarusha@humanrights.or.tz

Web: www.humanrights.or.tz