Legal Resources Foundation

Legal Resources Foundation is a charitable organization registered under the Private Voluntary Organisation Act in Zimbabwe. It was established in 1984.

History

When Zimbabwe attained its independence in 1980, a group of lawyers committed to promoting the protection of people’s rights came up with the idea of an organisation which would facilitate access to justice for all.

The Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) began its operations in 1985, with the establishment of the Harare Legal Projects Centre; publication of the Zimbabwe Law Reports to document cases advancing jurisprudence in Zimbabwe; and a pilot paralegal programme designed to take the law to the people. The organisation has expanded its programmes and reach over the past 35 years, with 5 provincial centres and 13 Legal Advice Centres spread across the country.^[1]

Vision

A Zimbabwe where human rights are upheld and all people have access to justice.

Mission

To promote access to justice and human rights in Zimbabwe through legal assistance, legal education and advocacy and strengthening the justice delivery system.

Services

Providing legal and civic education/information
Offering legal services
Responding to human rights abuses
Training service providers in the justice system and public sector
Promoting law and policy reform
Promoting citizen participation and governance

Trustees

Murray McCartney - Publications Committee
Sam Mugumisi - Human Resources & Advocacy Committees
Emmanuel Jinda - Finance and Human Resources Committees
Emmanuel Ndebele - Finance Committee
Nancy Samuriwo - Human Resources and Publications Committees
Katrina Wallace-Karenga - Public Interest, Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation Committees
Mark Warhurst
Promise Ncube - Public Interest and Advcacy Committee

What They Do

Legal Education

It is critical that people are made aware of their rights and responsibilities and empowered, through legal knowledge, to assert their rights and demand justice. The LRF reaches out to communities, particularly those in hard to reach areas, raising awareness and empowering communities and individuals to use and shape the law.

Legal Services

The law is complex and people require assistance to avoid the risk of having their cases thrown out in the court based on legal technicalities. Through their permanent offices and help desks at magistrates’ courts, they provide legal assistance to the marginalised to enable them to navigate the justice delivery system. They also take legal services directly to the people through mobile legal aid clinics conducted around the rural areas of Zimbabwe. They also assist people virtually through a toll-free helpline operated by their lawyers who offer legal advice free of charge to those calling in.

Each year they assist an average of 16,200 clients through help desks, mobile legal aid clinics and in-office assistance. They also assist self-actors to present cases at courts across the country. These cases range from maintenance claims, bail applications, domestic violence cases, deceased estates disputes, property rights disputes and peace orders.

Strengthening Justice Delivery

The LRF works with authorities and institutions to strengthen the justice system. They identify barriers to accessing justice and address these through building the capacities of officials responsible for the administration and delivery of justice. Their programmes improve the delivery of justice in rural and marginalised areas, both through building the capacity of traditional leaders across the country on professional court processes and also individuals by making them aware of how the customary law courts function and the rights of litigants in the courts. They also work with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (Victim friendly Unit) by building their capacity to improve the way they discharge their mandates.

Research And Advocacy

The LRF gathers evidence from its interventions and uses the information and data to engage with appropriate stakeholders in the justice delivery sector to advocate for law and policy reform. While they prioritise dialogue, they also use public interest litigation and publicity campaigns to promote a human rights culture and the importance of observing the rule of law.

They utilise different methods to contribute to an enabling environment where democratic rights are claimed by an informed public that demands the protection and enforcement of constitutional and human rights.