Access To Justice
Criminal Defence Project
We provide access to justice through pro bono legal aid to women and girls who cannot access or afford the services of a lawyer. Through this project, we visit several female correctional centers in Nigeria and ensure our clients receive adequate and effective pro bono services. We work with our clients to review their cases and circumstances of detention and strategize on available defence and legal options to guarantee justice for them. We also provide pro bono legal representation to youths, sexual minorities, persons with disabilities, and other members of these communities who may be unable to access a lawyer’s services. At the same time, we work to strengthen those key criminal justice institutions to improve service delivery.
CIDT Project
We advocate against torture and other forms of ill-treatment perpetrated by law enforcement agencies and assist victims to seek redress and ensure perpetrators are held accountable. We oppose the use of the death penalty and advocate for the abolition of the death penalty and other humane alternative sanctions. The majority of our clients on death row are victims of torture, and other inhume treatments. We render free legal services to capital offenders, find mitigating evidence where necessary, and ensure their right to fair trials are enforced. Our clients are represented effectively in court by integrating international best practices nationally. Click here to read our survey on the perception of people about the use of death penalty as a capital punishment for offenders in Nigeria.
Mental health
Our focus is on the need for comprehensive mental health and disability laws in Nigeria. We monitor and document abuses in places of detention advocacy and policy tools. We also work towards building awareness, informing public policy, and reducing stigma and discrimination against mental disabilities.
Public interest litigation
We use the law to create social change by engaging in strategic litigation on our community’s vital subject matters and needs. We bring cases that clarify, change interpretations, raise new and novel narratives/issues, set precedents, and affect broad populations and issues.
