LEGAL ASSISTANCE AND LITIGATION

CRP's legal services unit provides free legal assistance to victims of human rights abuses, in addition to filing public impact actions in courts. Between 1990 and present, hundreds of awaiting trial persons who have spent several years in detention without trial have regained their freedom.

Program Overview

Selected cases
Felix Omoniyodo  vs. Alhaji Sani Daura 
Richard Ade  vs. Hon. Minister of Internal Affairs 
Alhaji Otaogbaye vs. Ugeh Meshach 
Julius Berger  vs.  Nkechi Nnadozie 
Trustee of CRP vs. A.G. Lagos State
Cosmas Opara vs. Union Bank of Nigeria

Click her for >>Other cases

OUTREACH

CRP's outreach activities include weekly radio programs, a weekly newspaper column published in ThisDay newspaper (formerly in The Guardian newspaper), and the production of billboards, designed to sensitize the public to human rights issues.

CRP also produces t-shirts, stickers, posters and pamphlets, all of which seek to promote a greater awareness of human rights among Nigerians.

CRP's various departments organize conferences, workshops and seminars according to their respective mandates. Past events have targeted lawyers, judges, journalists, students and human rights activists, as well as the general public. Browse the department summaries for more information on these events.

LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY

In the wake of the new civilian dispensation, the Constitutional Rights Project, CRP, in repositioning itself for the challenges of democratic governance, put in place a legislative advocacy programme.

The days of military rule with its attendant crude and barbaric violation of human rights and constitutionalism is over, and a major challenge facing the civil society is strengthening and consolidating on the gains that their past activism have yielded, that is civilian rule.

CRP by its legislative agenda intends to positively impact the National Assembly in the discharge of its constitutional role and duties.

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RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS

CRP conducts investigations and prepares analytic reports on various issues of concern in Nigeria. The reports recommend the legal and institutional changes and improvements necessary to be made for the full realisation of human rights in Nigeria.

More information on CRP publications

WOMEN AND CHILDREN

CRP's Women and Children desk was instrumental in the development of the Text for Human Rights Teaching in Schools, being displayed by the Chief Judge of Kaduna State. 
As part of its human rights education programme, CRP developed this text as a tool to facilitate the teaching of human rights at the tertiary level.

This text is a compendium containing a broad range of human rights topics and issues.  It is intended for the use of teachers and educators in Africa, in search of ready resource that contains the broad range of contemporary human rights issues.

The text covers various international and African human rights issues and topics, as well as the human rights context of Nigeria.

In March 2000, CRP organized a seminar entitled "The Place of Women Under Sharia" in response to the adoption of the Muslim Sharia legal code by some northern states. As a follow-up, CRP is organizing a training session on Sharia for Alkhali court judges, encouraging them to consider progressive interpretations of Sharia that favour the upholding of human rights, in particular the rights of women. This project is currently awaiting funding.

PEACE BUILDING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

The issue of World Peace has been one of concern to everybody, especially those involved in development work.  This is so because many people suffer so much in the course of wars/conflict and their aftermath, and some of such damages to persons and property are irreparable and life long.

In Nigeria, the various incidents of civil disturbance in different parts of the country seem to have defied all forms of intervention hitherto.  These disturbances have taken their toll on the affected communities.  Displacement from homes, shortage of food and water, emotional trauma, single parent families and its attendant problems are some of the effects of these spates of unrest.

Many Nigerians nationwide are currently being affected by the aftermath of one such conflict or the other.  In view of this, affected areas must begin to look at alternatives for the reoslution of conflict, and develop workable strategies for their communities to stem the high spate of armed conflict, which is currently witnessed in the country today.

With the advent of civil rule in Nigeria, peaceful coexistence is an importnat criterion for the nascent democracy to thrive. Preventing conflict is vital if we are to protect human rights.

To ensure the realisation of fundamental human rights, following the establishment of peaceful coexistence between communities that will promote respect for the rule of law and respect for human dignity in Nigeria, CRP has thus far promoted peace building using community leaders, women leaders, youths in the southeast and southwest of Nigeria as well as members of the Nigerian Police Force.
 

Highlights of workshops organised by CRP on Peace Building/Conflict Resolution:

"Training of Trainers" designed to promote the involvement of women in conflict resolution and peace building at the community level; Nov 2000, in Ondo & Osun States:- supported by OTI USAID

TOT workshop on Conflict Resolution & Peace Building for Community Leaders;  April 2001, South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria: - supported by FNF

A 4-day community based workshop on Strategies for Peace Building/Conflict Resolution in the Delta Region; Sep 2001, Port Harcourt, Rivers State - supported by FNF

Sensitising youths in the conflict-proned Niger Delta area to initiate peace building processes in conflict situations; Mar 2002, Calabar, Cross River - supported by FNF

A 3-day follow up workshop with youth from the Niger Delta, Aug 2002, Umuahia, Abia State - supported by FNF

2-phased TOT (Training of Trainers) workshop on Police Reforms and Conflict Transformation for Police Officers.

Phase 1: Police officers in the Southern part of Nigeria; Feb 2003, Enugu, Enugu State

Phase 2: Police officers in the Norther part of Nigeria; Aug. 2003, Jos, Plateau State

CIVIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM

CRP in 2003 carried out civic and voter education in Nigeria ahead of the 2003 elections. This was with a view to empowering Nigerians play a more active role in the democratic process in the country.

The objectives of the Civic Education and Training Program included:

• To mobilise the general public into greater interest and awareness on the 2003 elections.
• To raise the level of public debate and interest in the performance of elected officials and assess the extent of their delivery on electoral promises made by them.
• To advocate tenets of good governance by reporting on governance issues and exposing areas of concern for public information and awareness.
• To highlight shortcomings and areas of concern regarding the operations of the institutions of democracy and suggest improvements.
• To help build capacity of democratic institution in Nigeria

CRP is also planning as part of its Civic Education activities for 2004 a 'Citizenship Forum for Good Governance and Development of Democracy'. It would entail promoting awareness of the law, promoting constitutional awareness and information, accountability of elected officials.

HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORING

CRP is a member of the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), a coalition of NGOs formed to monitor elections held in Nigeria between December 1998 and February 1999. For their work during these elections, TMG was presented with the 1999 Democracy Award by the U.S.-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED). 

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