Awareness and Human Rights Sensitization Scheme

The firm has engaged in a number of human rights projects over the years, in different locations, ranging from schools, communities, and locations alike.

NATIONAL ROUDTABLE EVENT ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN NIGERIA

The Firma Advisory in collaboration the National Human Rights Commission organised The National Stakeholder Roundtable Event on Access to Justice in Nigeria. This event brought together Judges, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Lawyers, Government Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, and the General public to discuss justice issues and map out actionable solutions to the challenges in Accessing Justice In Nigeria.

The event focused on addressing Access to Justice in three key areas:

1. Reforming the Nigerian Criminal Justice System: Enhancing Access to Justice for Indigent Defendants and Pretrial Detainees.

   The role of pro-bono lawyers in promoting justice for marginalised communities, strategies for increasing funding and institutional support for legal aid services as well as the impact of prolonged pretrial detention on human rights and justice delivery.

2. Protecting the Future: Ensuring Access to Justice for Children, Juvenile Offenders, Women and Survivors of Gender-Based Violence.

   Addressing the gaps in the implementation of the Child rights Act, Reforming juvenile justice system to prevent criminalization of children, Delays in GBV case processing and their impact on survivor participation, enforcing the VAPP Act and other protective laws for GBV Survivors

3. Medical Negligence and Patients’ Rights: Ensuring Justice in Healthcare Delivery.

   Legal remedies for victims of medical malpractice and negligence, strengthening regulatory frameworks to enforce accountability in the healthcare sector, empowering citizens to demand their rights under the National Health Act.

The keynote address focused on the Economics of Access to Justice given by Ms Chinenye Uwanaka, The Managing Partner of The Firma Advisory addressed how in Nigeria, it seems as though only the rich and connected have access to justice, and how in the long run, it affects our economic realities as a nation.

The Access to justice fund for young lawyers will serve as a sustainable financial support system for pro bono lawyers, removing economic barriers that often prevent passionate legal practitioners from taking on critical human rights cases. The fund will provide comprehensive support including case filing fees, transportation costs, research resources, and other essential expenses that arise during pro bono representation. This initiative aims to create a robust support system that enables lawyers to focus on delivering quality legal services to vulnerable populations without personal financial constraints. 

The mentorship and capacity building training program for young pro bono lawyers will provide comprehensive professional development opportunities through structured mentorship, practical skills training and hands-on case experience. This program will pair emerging legal practitioners with experienced human rights practitioners, offering systematic guidance in areas such as strategic litigation, case management and advocacy skills. Participants will have access to one on one mentorship from seasoned human rights practitioners.

The event marked a significant success as key action points in addressing the challenges of Access to Justice in Nigeria were mapped out.

GOVERNMENT SCIENCE SECONDARY SCHOOL, MAITAMA, ABUJA.

The Access to Justice team of the Firma Advisory carried out outreach to the Government Science Secondary School, Maitama, where we sensitized the students on issues bothering on child abuse, child molestation and rape, urging the students to be bold to speak out against all forms of abuses they are exposed to, both in their homes and environments.

Government day secondary school, wuse.

The Firma Advisory team visited the Government day secondary school, where we sensitized the students on their rights as children and young persons, and urged them on speaking out if they go through discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment.

WIDOWS SENSITIZATION DRIVE

On the 6th of April 2019, the Firma Advisory team visited Auchi, Edo State in collaboration with the Hussein Lecky foundation, to sensitize and inform widows about the rights they have as individual persons.

The firm also awarded the widows with a grant of N150,000 to a few women to start their own small and medium enterprise businesses, along with foodstuffs.

during the course of this outreach, we were able to get a woman whose home was taken from her and her kid. She was also subjected to inhumane treatment after the death of her spouse.

Government day secondary school, life camp.

The Firma Advisory in the 3rd quarter of the year visited the Government day secondary school Life Camp where passed a series of messages to the children including a message on child’s rights, human trafficking.

We also prepared skits to reinforce our message and thereafter presented gifts and awards to the children.

MILESTONES