What are the laws that underpin a federal Union? What are the legal precedents for a federal constitution? These questions and more formed the basis of a legal training in Mae Sot this week.
The Karen Peace Support Team (KSPN) led the November 27 and 28 seminar bringing together legal experts and lawyers, as well as other peace-related organizations to discuss the laws involved in forming a federal Union. Their main aim is rewriting the 2008 Constitution to more equitably divvy power between a central authority and semi-autonomous ethnic states.
The Karen National Union (KNU)'s joint secretary P’doh Mahn Mahn, who also led the event, said that constitutional redrafting will require not only political minds, but also legal ones.
During the two-day training, U Aung Htoo and other legal experts from the Legal Aid Network discussed federalism with participants, including grade pleaders from the Kayin Lawyers’ Network, legal experts and students who have graduated from federal school.
“Most of the lawyers only know about existing laws such as penal code and the criminal code of procedures. We lack knowledge about the 2008 Constitution,” said Saw Day Lo Htoo, a high grade pleader who attended the training as a representative of Kayah State. “I was able to learn about the federal system and the weaknesses of the 2008 Constitution so it was very helpful.”
The training organizers from the Karen Peace Support Team (KSPN) said they hope to hold more seminars in the future.
