Ms Justice Donnelly addresses Tanzanian High-Level Symposium on Victim-Centred Criminal Justice

On 1 February, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly delivered the keynote address on victim-centred criminal justice to the Tanzanian High-Level Symposium on Victim-Centred Criminal Justice, organised by the Tanzanian judiciary through the Institute of Judicial Administration. Ms Justice Donnelly delivered her address virtually to the Symposium which was held in Dodoma, Tanzania.  Ms Justice Donnelly’s address was followed by a number of presentations from representatives involved in the Tanzanian criminal justice system, as well as a plenary discussion chaired by the former Chief Justice of Tanzania, the Hon. Mr. Justice Mohammed Othman Chande.

The Symposium was organised in collaboration with Irish Rule of Law International and the Tanzania Embassy of Ireland.  Irish Rule of Law International has run a programme in Tanzania for a number of years which seeks to foster and strengthen partnerships between the police and judiciaries in Tanzania, Ireland, and Northern Ireland with a view to mutual learning and the improved handling of child sexual abuse cases. 

Ms Justice Donnelly’s address examined the development of a more victim centred approach to criminal justice in Ireland in the context of historical physical and sexual violence and focused in particular on how the Irish courts have addressed cross-examination limits and some of the special measures afforded to victims of crime.

Ms Justice Donnelly previously co-facilitated a ‘training the trainers’ course based on the theme of ‘avoiding re-traumatisation of victims’ at the Institute of Judicial Administration in Lushoto, Tanzania in 2024.

Pictured below: Symposium speakers. Photography provided courtesy of IRLI.