Rule of law group sends Irish lawyers to Tanzania and Myanmar

An Irish organisation that promotes the rule of law around the world has hit the ground running in 2016 by sending Irish lawyers to Tanzania and Myanmar.

Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) sent a delegation of Irish lawyers to Tanzania in January in order to provide training in arbitration to members of the Tanzanian judiciary.

Another team of Irish lawyers headed to Myanmar earlier this month to support local NGO Bridges Across Borders South East Asia-Community Legal Education (BABSEACLE) in their community legal education work and specifically the 2nd Annual National Mock Trial Event.

Emma Dwyer, IRLI co-ordinator, told Irish Legal News: “2016 has already started off as an exciting year for IRLI with volunteer programmes in both Tanzania and Myanmar.

“In Tanzania a group of Irish lawyers led by former President of the High Court Mr. Joe Finnegan provided training in arbitration to members of the Tanzanian judiciary. Tanzanian Chief Justice Mohamed Othman and IRLI have a strong partnership and IRLI was delighted to be able to partner with the Tanzanian judiciary on this important initiative, supported also by Irish Aid.

“The group that traveled to Myanmar included both trainee and qualified solicitors and proved to be a learning experience as much for the Irish delegation as for the students and lawyers with whom they worked in Myanmar. In partnership with local NGO BABSEACLE, the Irish volunteer lawyers were promoting concepts of social justice in legal education to law students and legal aid centres in Myanmar.

“This programmes lie at the heart of IRLI’s efforts - providing opportunities for members of the legal profession in Ireland to share experiences with legal professionals in developing countries and support each other in strengthening the rule of law.”

Aisling Woods, solicitor with Howard Synnott Solicitors, outlined the experience of the Irish team in Myanmar on the IRLI website.

She wrote: “I travelled over with Pat MacGonagle (McGonagle Solicitors), Lisa Conkey (BLM), Mary Clear (Brophy&Martin), Stephanie O’Brien (Office of the DPP), Clara Wallace (McCann Fitzgerald) and Rory O’Boyle (Law Society Diploma Centre) to join Freda who has been in Myanmar since November 2015 on a 6 month sabbatical working with BABSEACLE.

“It is important to say how grateful we are to our firms and others such as Eversheds for sponsoring our participation in this project and to everyone else who supported us through direct donations.

“I organised a charity event in Dublin’s Laughter Lounge and my firm Howard Synnott Solicitors also generously sponsored the project.”