Accident Damages • The LRF assisted an elderly man to get damages for pain and suffering after he sustained injuries as a result of being hit by a motor vehicle belonging to the City of Bulawayo. The City of Bulawayo through its insurance company agreed to pay for his medical bills but not to compensate him for pain and suffering. Summons were issued claiming $10,000, on the instruction of the client. After holding a round table, the matter was finally settled out of court and the defendant agreed to pay $5,000. Our client has relocated to the rural areas but has confirmed by telephone that his account has indeed been credited with the sum of $5,000. Prisons Project The LRF continued to visit prisons on a monthly basis. As well as enabling the organisation to identify inmates who have been on remand for very long periods – primarily women, children and those requiring psychiatric or medical assessment – and assisting them with bail applications, the visits also facilitated the building of trust in the LRF on the part of the prison officers who were then prompt in alerting the centres to any cases needing attention. The UN minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners require that inmates have knowledge of their rights and the LRF has begun conducting outreaches with inmates, including the rights contained in the new Constitution. It was also observed during the prison visits that prison officers were implementing what they had learned during the workshops, especially regarding the treatment of juveniles in custody. Help Desks at the Courts In the current economic environment it is very difficult for most people to engage lawyers, with the result that the majority of people appear in courts as self–actors. They have little or no knowledge of the pleadings which they must file and the procedures to be followed in court and as a result claims are thrown out on technicalities, regardless of the merits of the case. The judicial officers’ hands are tied by law and they cannot descend to the arena to assist self-actors, as they are expected to be neutral. Intimidated by the courtroom appearance and the complex rules and processes that need to be followed, self-actors struggle to put their cases forward. In an effort to be where the people are in need, the LRF has operated help desks at certain courts but this initiative has proved to be problematic as space is always a premium. However, discussions were undertaken with the Judicial Service Commission to set up a pilot project at the Harare Civil Court whereby the LRF will provide its paralegal services to the court on a regular basis courts with the aim of ensuring that self-actors are given legal advice before filing their papers and appearing in court. Should this prove successful, efforts will be made to roll it out eventually to all courts, as a joint venture with the Legal Aid Directorate, the Law Society and other legal assistance providers. Capacity Development - Training of Service Providers Having invested in educating the population on their rights and responsibilities and providing assistance to seek redress, the LRF sees it as critical to ensure that the relevant service providers are made aware of their responsibilities in both civil and criminal law so that they fulfil their roles and functions according to the rule of law and are sensitive to gender and the cultural plight and lack of means of the marginalised. This training of service providers is necessary as Government is currently unable to conduct such training due to resource constraints. The following are the sectors the LRF has engaged during the past year. 23