CERESAV faces challenges in providing legal aid to survivors of gender-based violence, including threats to lawyers and limited resources for advocacy. To address this, we’ll leverage technology by creating phone apps to offer legal information and support. Partnerships with pro-bono lawyers and child protection services will be vital. We’ll track cases, develop policy briefs for reforms, and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders to strengthen advocacy efforts and ensure survivors of gender-based violence have access to justice and safe spaces.
Our legal services department aims to ensure justice from the time the crime is committed to the completion of the trial.
CERESAV legal representatives meet with survivors after their attack to understand how the attack happened, whether it was reported to the police and any police feedback at the time of the report. We obtain medical records for use in court proceedings and are in regular correspondence with the police to ensure all pertinent evidence is available for trial.
Our long-term goal is to offer acid attack survivors private prosecution in consultation with the crown prosecution to provide a more personalized and efficient option to survivors. (This would be within the limitations of the law and with the consent of the Attorney General or of the DPP before the commencement of proceedings.) The CERESAV legal team is currently building relationships with several judicial bodies in Kampala to facilitate this arrangement in the future.