Karol Limondin is Senior Legal Adviser at the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR), currently posted in Lusaka, Zambia, providing expertise and support to the implementation of the Programme for Legal Empowerment and Enhanced Justice Delivery (PLEED) in Zambia supported by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany, with technical assistance from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and DIHR.

Mr. Limondin has specialised in legal aid and paralegalism since he joined DIHR in 2008 with a focus on the development of legal aid policy and implementation framework in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Mr. Limondin’s work in that regard has ranged from legal aid and paralegals baselines, capacity development for paralegals and legal aid CSOs, development of training curriculum and materials for paralegals, conceptualisation and implementation of innovative legal aid service delivery models, to advocacy and drafting of legal aid policies and regulatory frameworks.

Mr. Limondin’s current involvement under the PLEED in Zambia covers, inter alia:

• The development and implementation of a policy, legislative and regulatory framework on legal aid. On 1 October 2018, the Government of Zambia adopted a National Legal Aid Policy with the objective to ensure efficient and effective delivery of legal aid services to the poor and vulnerable people in Zambia. The process of amending the legislation on legal aid is underway.
• The development and operationalisation of a three-level paralegal training scheme. On 8 July 2018, the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority Zambia approved the newly established training scheme for paralegals in Zambia. Training courses are currently taking place at all three levels, for a total of 270 paralegals.
• The establishment and operation of 15 legal desks at court, correctional facility and police station levels based on a cooperation between the Legal Aid Board in Zambia and CSOs. In 2018, the 15 desks provided legal aid to almost 11,000 persons. Women and juveniles constitute 30 percent of the clients.