A country is strong when the judiciary is strong, according to the unanimous opinion of the participants in the African-Baden-Württemberg legal exchange. It was organized by the Baden-Württemberg Development Cooperation Foundation (SEZ).
Lawyers from the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as from Benin and Tanzania were given a week-long opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the German judicial system in exchange with colleagues from Baden-Württemberg.
The exchange and mutual change of perspective were the focus of the week-long stay in Baden-Württemberg. The aim was to get to know the justice systems of the countries involved better and to provide professional and practical exchanges between all participants. “The exchange with the German tandem partners was very interesting for me, but the exchange with my African colleagues was also very valuable for me,” said judge Issa Maige from Tanzania at the end of the exchange. “I learned a lot about the German judicial administration.”
Verena Alexander, judge at the Stuttgart Regional Court, who also took part in the exchange, describes her motivation as follows: “For me it is a good opportunity to broaden my horizons, come into contact with colleagues from another continent, get to know them and to find out how and under what conditions they work in their respective countries.”
The exchange of lawyers has been taking place since 2014.