Mozambique Bar, SERNIC Partner on Professional Training

Maputo — The Mozambican Bar Association (OAM) and the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) have agreed to strengthen cooperation on professional training in order to speed up the processing of criminal cases. The agreement also provides for joint training to update the knowledge and strengthen the skills of professionals from both institutions, against the backdrop of increasingly complex challenges facing the justice system. According to Joaquim Balaze, head of the OAM Provincial Council in Maputo, speaking during a working visit to the SERNIC headquarters, the training will cover areas of common interest, including lawyers' professional prerogatives, combating the unlawful practice of law and the limits of lawyers' activities during the investigation phase of criminal proceedings. "SERNIC, the Attorney General's Office and the Bar Association share the common objective of ensuring citizens' access to justice, making closer institutional communication essential to resolving problems that arise during criminal proceedings", he said. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines He also called for greater speed in processing cases and for lawyers to be guaranteed access to their clients held at police stations. The Bar Association also raised concerns over the notification of clients, arguing that "notifications should, whenever possible, be made through formal channels rather than by text message or telephone call." The two institutions also discussed the creation of focal points to facilitate communication, monitor commitments and help implement decisions resulting from the cooperation. Simbine highlighted the need to combat the unlawful practice of law and proposed that the OAM provide SERNIC with updated lists of lawyers who are duly registered and in good professional standing. "Being duly registered is not enough. It may happen that a lawyer has paid their fees but is suspended for various reasons," Simbine explained, recalling that the Bar Association had previously provided lists showing the professional status of lawyers. Such updated information, he said, would make it easier to verify lawyers' professional status and help reduce cases of unlawful practice of law. Read the original article on AIM . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.