Hargeisa (SD) – Human rights lawyer Guled Ahmed Jama (Dafac) says Somaliland’s lawyers are not independent enough to defend the country laws and its people and are facing injustice, abuse and imprisonment.

“According to Somaliland law, everyone has a duty under the laws of the land, they can work together if these rules are followed and respected, a lawyer is said to be an officer, and an officer is like a government employee. When a lawyer appears in court, he must be respected and should not be discriminated against.” Said Guled Dafac.

Somaliland’s lawyers have faced challenges in recent years from various branches of government, making them ineffective in the delivery of justice in Somaliland.

Speaking about these and other problems to local media he said “One of the problems lawyers have is that they do not have access to the detainees they represent, and they cannot interview them, they are told to only represent defendants in court, its not possible.”

“If there is a complaint against the lawyers, there is a Disciplinary Committee that can take action, but if they are not allowed to do their job, but when a lawyer is deemed to be questioning the system, and his license is revoked, extra pressure is put on him, the lawyers cannot do their jobs” he continued.

Guled Dafac’s statement comes as the Somaliland Bar Association (SOLLA) conference opened in Hargeisa yesterday.