00:00Former Speaker of the House Nizam Mohamed is urging attorneys to provide legal support to detainees who cannot afford representation,
00:08saying access to justice must remain a priority, even under the state of emergency.
00:13Let us ensure that we have a level playing field and people should have access to justice. And if they
00:27can't afford the state and the public, we are under an obligation to provide them with such a facility. And
00:36that is why I ask the lawyers to consider coming forward.
00:41Mohamed also criticized what he described as the silence of both the legal aid and advisor authority and the law
00:48association, saying both institutions have a responsibility to uphold the rule of law and defend the constitution. He added that
00:57many detainees are unaware of their legal rights or that they should seek legal advice.
01:02Many of them possibly do not even know that they should consult and get legal advice as a result of
01:12where they have found themselves.
01:14While acknowledging that emergency powers allow authorities to detain individuals on suspicion, Mohamed argued that those powers were intended for
01:23extraordinary situations and not for prolonged detention without access to justice.
01:28But we have had a very peculiar situation in the current state of emergency. It has been operating for a
01:39very, very long time, 400 days, and that's more than a year.
01:47How long have people been there and they are just languishing and they have no access?
01:52When they took their oath of office, they swore by holy books. And that is not a simple matter.
02:01That is not a simple matter. You live and you lift a holy book and you are supposed to turn
02:11your attention where injustice is.
02:13If there is apparent injustice, and I am not saying there is injustice, apparent injustice, let us examine it.
02:21Where is that legal fraternity? They are not coming forward. They are failing this country. The lawyers are failing this
02:30country.
02:31Mohamed said lawyers have a duty to uphold the constitution and protect the fundamental rights of every citizen.
02:37He also called it for greater focus on justice and nation-building, saying the national conversation has become dominated by
02:44political disputes instead of addressing the concerns of ordinary citizens.
02:49Charlotte Kisto, TV6 News.
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