|
VISION
The Access to Justice Unit of the IHRHL is committed
through a network of activities to capacity building for
the citizenry to access the system of justice. Recognizing
that the right to justice is fundamental to any functional
society, we focus on social empowerment in the Niger Delta
using a bottom up approach. By this, we intend to aid the
underprivileged by introducing law in terms they perceive
as alleviating or eradicating the problems that face them.
This will accordingly enhance popular citizenship
participation in the process of governance and discourage
the widespread ignorance and apathy that had provided a
fertile ground for executive excesses and
irresponsibility.
STRATEGIES
To achieve the afore-stated, the Unit embarks on the
following activities:
• The Paralegal Education Programme
Our interest and activities in any rural Niger Delta
community is evoked by a Needs Assessment study of the
area to ascertain human interest matters that may require
our attention in the community. On identifying such
issues, we establish a committee of persons interested in
our objectives. We proceed to train community members
selected by this Paralegal Committee on the basic elements
of the law, so that these ‘barefoot lawyers’ can teach and
advise communities on the problems they face. The training
is in two phases. The first phase consists of the lectures
and grooming by resource persons and the 2nd phase
involves establishing Community Legal Advice Centers in
communities where the need arises, staffed by these
trained paralegals. The paralegals also serve as
facilitators in educational programmes organized in their
communities on the legal prescriptions for any conflict of
interests, corporate social responsibility of extractive
industries, democratic principles, etc. All services are
free of charge.
• Legal Clinics
To provide professional back up for cases reported in the
legal advice centres that require the skills of trained
practitioners, we organize regular legal clinics to attend
to such matters. This is another opportunity for the
practitioners to educate the rural dwellers on their
rights, responsibilities and machineries of realizing
these rights while enhancing their self-worth and
de-emphasizing senseless resort to violence.
• The Lawyer to Lawyer Network
Apart from rural networking, professional networking is a
crucial strategy in achieving our objectives. The lawyer
to lawyer programme is designed to drum up support for
public interest advocacy among legal practitioners and
other law officers who are encouraged to be part of this
Network. These stakeholders are sensitized to offer some
of their time and expertise pro bono, in aid of indigent
litigants.
METHODOLOGY
Information for research on any issues and also for
periodical reports is culled from media reports,
interviews, on-site investigations and administration of
questionnaires (where applicable). Needs Assessment
studies in the communities as well as pre –programme
arrangements also involves courtesy calls and advocacy
visits to stakeholders such as traditional rulers,
community heads or local government authorities.
Post-programme evaluation /monitoring is done through in
service supervision in the form of routine visits to the
Advice Centres; casework assessment and inspection of
records, occasional meetings with paralegals for impact
assessment and review of procedures.
We adopt a participatory and interactive method in most of
our training and educational workshops. This is to create
an open climate for trainees to interact and share ideas
on topical issues.
EXPECTATIONS/ LONG TERM OBJECTIVES
• Ingrain in community members knowledge about the law as
a positive tool for societal development.
• Foster respect for the rule of law
• Promote a culture of rights and responsibilities,
towards a responsive and people-oriented government.
• Make project self-sufficient and self-sustaining, so
that it becomes community directed and community financed.
|
