How can I become a legal observer?
To become a legal observer, no special skills are needed, but training and workshops could prepare a person for unexpected events at a demonstration or election assembly. A person who wants to run video equipment as a legal observer may consider completing a short course to learn how to record successful videos. Some activist groups offer training people who want to become a legal observer of the organization. One group is an activist legal project in the UK, which uses volunteers who become legal observers on political protests.
The legal observer is not an activist, but an impartial witness who records police misconduct and documents as much information as possible. This person usually wear a T -shirt or other form of identification to alert the enforcement of law is not part of the demonstration. The legal observer monitors what is happening and records details of any confrontation between protestersand the police.
observers commonly unspecified, pens and a small tape recorder. If the activist is arrested or injured, the legal observers write down the name of the arrested person, the date and time and what led to confrontation. The name of an arrested officer, identifying all media present and witnesses present is represented by other information observers.
These notes are usually assembled into narration after the demonstration is closed. This preserves details of the meeting with the Civil or Criminal Court proceedings where the observer can be asked to testify. Organizations that train people to become legal observers usually recommend that the narratives be stored in a safe place and the copy will be provided to the activist support group.
risks are usually explained to anyone who wants to become a legal observer. The volunteer has no special rights and may face arrests. He or she does not provide legal advice, andSome activist support groups ask the legal observer to distribute the information cards to each arrested. These cards may include contact information for a lawyer who represents the organization and telephone number of the support group.
during training to become a legal observer, the role of a volunteer can play on various scenarios. These exercises focus on the security of the observer and provide behavior tips to make the observer stand up from demonstrators. Workshops could emphasize that the observer cannot control the crowd or serve as a spokesman for the organization that trains it.