Venidora Oliveira – Timor-Leste's mobile court has resolved 1143 cases since being established in 2010, representing significant progress, according to the Timor-Leste Country Director of United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Claudio Providas.

He said the mobile court was set up with the aim of improving access to formal justice for communities in rural areas. "It means that rural communities can also have access to justice," he said.

Providas said UNDP also provided human resources and other equipment to the mobile court. "We (UNDP) facilitate the experts for transferring the skills to the national court," he said.

He said stability would be improved throughout the country if all people had access to justice. "It is for country's stability, therefore the UNDP and other judicial institutions are bringing justice to the people," he said.

National MP Anna Ribeiro said the mobile court was helping vulnerable people who otherwise may not have had access to justice. "They have no money to go to the municipality court and [so] this mobile court can help them," she said.

She said the fact that 1143 cases had so far been resolved through the mobile court showed that there was enthusiasm among communities for formal justice.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/news/13906-1143-cases-resolved-in-mobile-court