YAS pushes for fair community justice

People facing disputes in their communities need fair treatment, protection of their rights and access to legal help, Youth and Society (YAS) has said.

The organisation made the call on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, during a stakeholder consultation in Kasungu aimed at examining how informal justice systems handle community disputes and how paralegals can help people access justice.

YAS Head of Programmes Mwandida Theu said many people need guidance to understand their rights and identify where to seek help when legal problems arise.

“Access to justice is important and paralegals can play a big role in helping communities address legal issues,” said Theu.

She said paralegals could help people understand their rights, while ensuring legal problems receive appropriate attention from relevant institutions.

Theu added that the meeting brought together formal and in atformal justice actors to document existing practices and identify ways of making justice more inclusive and accessible to communities.

Senior Chief Japhet Chozale welcomed the engagement, saying it had created an opportunity to examine how community-based justice mechanisms resolve disputes and the challenges facing justice institutions.

He said the discussions also focused on strengthening fairness, accountability and the protection of human rights in the administration of justice.

The consultation was held under a two-year project titled Strengthening Access to Justice through Participatory Research on Informal Justice Systems, Paralegalism and Community Mobilisation, funded by Kituo Cha Sheria and implemented by YAS and the Paralegal Advisory Service Institute (PASI) in 10 districts.

Other participating institutions included the police, judiciary, traditional leaders, the Department of Social Welfare, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, DREAM, MACODA, Good Health Organization and Girls on the Lead.