The Declaration stresses the need for legal aid provision at all stages of the criminal justice system. It recognises Africa’s traditional community-based alternatives to formal criminal justice. It opens up a range of legal aid delivery services ranging from law clinics to offices of public defenders, from pro bono legal assistance to justice centres. Recognising the shortfall of lawyers, it proposes greater reliance on paralegals and trained legal assistants to complement the work of lawyers. It stresses the need for greater legal literacy.

The Declaration was formulated and adopted at a conference convened by PRI in Malawi in November 2004 attended by delegates from 26 countries, 21 of them African. The delegates were Ministers of State, judges, lawyers, prison commissioners and international, regional and national NGOs.

At a time when prison populations are growing substantially in every region of the world, PRI recognises that affordable and accessible legal aid is key to preventing unnecessary imprisonment.