National Legislative Development in Vietnam
The CBA is proud to welcome Jacob Gammelgaard as the new Project Field Manager for the National Legislative Development project. Jacob has significant technical and management experience with legal reform projects in Vietnam. He will be replacing Isabeau Vilandré, who had been working on the National Legislative Development project since 2013 and has decided to pursue other challenges in Ethiopia.
The project is currently working to support the creation of a gender equality working group, the first inter-ministerial working group devoted to addressing gender mainstreaming in the Government of Vietnam. Training on gender-based analysis is planned for early October assist policy analysts in incorporating gender analysis into the development of policy.
(Shown from left to right: Ms. Van, National Legislative Development office, Harriet Roos, Project Team Leader and Senior Development Officer, Embassy of Canada in Vietnam, Jacob Gammelgaard, new National Legislative Development Project Field Manager, Kim Inksater, Acting Director, Isabeau Vilandré, outgoing National Legislative Development Project Field Manager and Ministry of Justice of Vietnam staff.)
Supporting Access to Justice for Children and Youth in East Africa
In August 2016, the Supporting Access to Justice for Children and Youth in East Africa project held workshops in Uganda and Tanzania for prosecutors and other justice system stakeholders on forensic interviewing, preparing children to testify in court, and trial advocacy. The workshops were facilitated in Uganda by Jill Witkin, Crown, Toronto and Rickcola Brinton, Managing Lawyer, Nova Scotia Legal Aid, and in Tanzania by Christine McGoey, Fmr. Crown Attorney, Toronto and Sunday Patola, Crown, Nelson, B.C. A workshop on the same topics will be held in Kenya in September, facilitated by Janet Dickie, Crown, Surrey, B.C., and Robin Fowler, Public Prosecution Service of Canada.
Young Lawyers International Program
The new Young Lawyers International Program cycle for 2016-17 has begun and a robust group of 23 young Canadian lawyers are starting six-month overseas placements in Vietnam, Guyana, Nepal, South Africa, Kenya and Namibia in September. Watch for updates on our Facebook page.
Four billion lives excluded: What’s law got to do with it?
The International Initiatives Committee and Department of Justice Canada hosted the 17th annual workshop in conjunction with the CBA Legal Conference in August. These workshops, which count toward PD credits, feature topical international development issues to share experiences and ideas with colleagues from across the country and around the world.
This year’s workshop topic focused on Sustainable Development Goal 16. The keynote address was delivered by Patricia Peña, Director General for Economic Development, Global Affairs Canada, reaffirming Canada’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. The various presentations illustrated the crucial role legal empowerment of the poor plays in access to justice.