Dr. Seraphina Msengi Bakta

Position/Status

Lecturer

Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania

Contacts

Phone: 0713 392341

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Qualifications

Ph.D. – Child Law (University of Cape Town)

LL.M – International Law (University of Cape Town)

LL.B (Mzumbe University)

Diploma in Law (Mzumbe University)

Membership of Professional Bodies

Tanganyika Law Society

East Africa Law Society

Profile

Dr. Seraphina Msengi Bakta (Ph.D.) is a Lecturer at Mzumbe University, Tanzania and also an Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania. Dr. Bakta specializes in international child rights and she has a considerable practical legal experience on the subject. Her Ph.D. thesis ‘A critical analysis of the child justice system in (mainland) Tanzania’ (University of Cape Town) examined the protection of rights of children in conflict with the law and the extent to which violence against children and lack of socio-economic rights such as education and health services make children prone to delinquency.

Dr. Bakta has been involved in various researchers and consultancies at her University and under private capacity. She coordinated an international research project on Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices on Violence against children in Tanzania between 2014-2016. The study was funded by UNICEF Tanzania and it was carried out by Mzumbe University (Tanzania) in collaboration with University of Huddersfield (UK). This empirical study culminated in a publication of a Report in both English and Kiswahili languages. Other research and consultancies include training consultancies in local government authorities in Kibondo, Kigoma, and Sengerema, Mwanza in Tanzania. Dr. Bakta has published on human rights and child rights including on the use of restorative justice in child justice system; protection of a child victim and witness of sexual abuse in criminal justice and sexual and reproductive rights. Her research interests include human rights, child rights and protection, international law, environmental law, criminal justice (domestic and international) and restorative justice.

Publications

Bakta, Seraphina ‘CITES and the African elephant: The efficacy of trade bans in regulating international trade’ (2011) 1 (1) The Tanzania Lawyer 96-133.

Bakta, Seraphina ‘Non-judicial intervention in the juvenile justice system in Tanzania: the role of restorative justice’ Abstract Book of the 5th International Symposium Children at risk and in need of Protection Antalya, Turkey, November 1-3 2013 at 25.

Bakta, Seraphina, ‘Children witnesses and victims of sexual offenses and the right to be heard in judicial proceedings in Tanzania: Compatibility of international and domestic law’ (Work in progress).

Bakta, Seraphina, A brief Field report in Partial Fulfillment for the award of Diploma in Law of the Institute of Development Management Mzumbe (2002) available at Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children (TFTW 084) and www.mcdgc.go.tz

Bakta, Seraphina (LL.B Dissertation)-Access to Justice in Tanzania: Examining procedural technicalities in the High Court and Court of Appeal (2006).

Bakta, Seraphina (LL.M Dissertation): CITES and the African Elephant: Examining domestic implementation in Tanzania and South Africa (2010).

Bakta, Seraphina (Ph.D. Thesis) A critical analysis of the Child Justice System in (Mainland) Tanzania (2016).

Barry Percy Smith, Seraphina Bakta and Ena Trotman et al Report on the study of drivers of violence against children and positive change in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar (2016) – Not yet in the public domain.

Bakta, Seraphina ‘Absence of birth certification and child exposure to capital punishment: The Court of Appeal of Tanzania decision in R.S v Republic re-examined’ (in progress)