For Justice Actors In Lofa County
By Tokpa Tarnue- tarnue82@gmail.com
VOINJAMA, Liberia- The sexual and gender based violence unit at the Ministry of Justice has ended a day-long refresher awareness and training workshop on the In-Camera Mobile Screen, meaning in private.
Giving an overview of the training Voinjama, Atty. Josephine S. Grose, Prosecutor and Program Officer at Ministry of Justice SGBV Crimes Unit indicated that the in camera Mobile Screen is normally used for the trial of sexual offences cases at criminal court “E”.
She disclosed that, the act creating Criminal Court “E” provides that all cases of sexual violence shall be held in camera, where the alleged victim or survivals is under the age of eighteen and the protection of the victim warrants an en camera trial.
“The Mobile In-Camera Screen is a special partition made to fit within the court room for the purpose of providing shield victims testifying during the trial of SGBV cases,” Atty. Grose further emphasized.
It is constructed with woods with wheels attached to allow users move it around in different locations while its components include a one way mirror that allows only the victim or witness to see the defendant and the rest of the court from behind the screen thus making the victim or witness to sit comfortably during trail.
She further disclosed that the Mobile In-Camera Screen was jointly developed by the Judiciary and the Ministry of Justice with funding from the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida).
Atty. Josephine S. Grose, Prosecutor and Program Officer
The day-long refresher awareness and training workshop targeted prosecutor and public defense teams including staffers at the 10th judicial circuit court in Voinjama.
Speaking earlier, the SGBV Crimes Unit Director at the Ministry of Justice Cllr. Isaac George cautioned the participants to take advantage of the training and be focus.
He said, the In-Camera trial is intended to remove the grave prospect of easy identification with the risks of making the victim or survival a community stigma and a subject of public scandal.
“This initiative supported by the Government of Sweden seeks to promote confidentiality, access to basic services in court and to also increase confidence in the judiciary” director George added.
Remarking on behave of the participants at the end of the daylong refresher awareness, Lofa County deputy county attorney Daniel Nagbe commanded the SGVB Unit at the justice Ministry and her partner for the level of support over the years.
Atty. Nagbe also used the occasion to call for additional training opportunities for judicial actors as a way of ensuring full function of the SGBV court in the County.