Through the African Human Rights and Access to Justice Programme, the Kenyan and Swedish Sections of the International Commission of Jurists work together with local partners towards the incorporation of international human rights standards into national legal systems with the main aim being to support, preserve and strengthen the Rule of Law in Africa. Towards actualisation of this goal, the Programme develops and works with domestic and regional NGO's for the legal protection of human rights in Court, trial observations and monitoring, the participation in the African Commission on Human and People's Rights session and human rights awareness.

Over the last decade, the development of human rights in Africa has been marked by both dramatic positive changes and alarming reversals. In many countries, constitutional reform has been achieved, starting with the often-quoted example of Constitution of South Africa of 1996. Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, Mozambique, Angola and Zambia have developed entirely new Constitutions in varying times during this decade. A common feature of constitution making in all these countries has been massive consultations in which the objective has been to obtain the views of all citizens and their support for new arrangements of their governance. Constitution making has come with a new impetus for human rights protection at different levels. At one level is the universal acknowledgement not just of human rights protection, but also the content of rights protected. Many new constitutions formally guarantee economic, cultural, social and environmental rights in addition to the traditional civil and political rights. Examples are Uganda and South Africa. At another level is the creation of new possibilities for ordinary citizens to hold their governments to account through court action. The phenomenon of public interest litigation has emerged in many African countries where this possibility has been exercised, particularly toward the realization of environmental and economic rights.

Human rights protection is now a solid part of the economic and political agenda of the continent. It is important to note that African leaders have in this regard exposed themselves to high scrutiny regarding their collective commitment to human rights as well as their own practices domestically. Hence, many African people now expect that the recognition of equitable representation of women within the governing African Commission and the ratification of the optional protocol on the rights of women will mean more protection for rights of women domestically in accordance with these new continental standards. Similarly, the appointment of African judges to the International Criminal Court must correspond with more respect for judicial independence at home. However, Even without political conflagration, weak civil societies within African states frequently reverse formal gains at constitutional and treaty law levels by denying these instruments a culture of democracy and respect for human rights in which practice can emerge. Because most Africans are poor, disempowered, uneducated and marginalized, they frequently fail to appreciate when their rights are violated, and even if they do, they lack the capacity, technical and financial, to mobilize redress mechanisms. The African Human Rights and Access to Justice Programme strives to address this gap through working towards the incorporation of international human rights standards into national legal systems. The expected result is that victims of human rights violations claim and benefit from improved legal protection of their rights and access to justice in accordance with international standards.

Commencing in 2002, the Programme has been operational for four years and has been involved successfully in supporting human rights cases in sixteen African countries through direct financial contributions and legal opinions from lawyers with international expertise, amicus curiae briefs and trial observation activities.


How can you be involved?

The African Human Rights and Access to Justice Initiative supports thematic human rights litigation in the following thematic areas:

• Women's Rights
• Labour Rights
• Access to Justice
• Fair Trial & Criminal Justice; and
• Health Rights & HIV/AIDS

The Programme offers financial assistance, skilled legal advice, information and network support to the local organizations and legal associations to litigate in Court the violation of individuals or communities human rights. Interested parties may apply for case support.


Eligibility for Case Support

Under the Case Support activity of the African Human Rights and Access to Justice Programme, individual lawyers within private law firms, non-governmental organizations, university law clinics and other organizations may send applications for AHRAJ support on cases that promote the aims of the Programme at domesticating international human rights standards.

The support is by means of modest financial support and in addition legal expertise in the form of a legal opinion developed by a lawyer with relevant international expertise in partnership with and to complement the legal work of the national lawyer(s) responsible for each case.


Apply for Case Support

Download the Case Support Application Form

Download the Case Support Application Form

The completed downloaded forms should be mailed to Grace Maingi, Benson Ngugi or to info@icj-kenya.org or sent to :

The Programme Manager
AHRAJ
ICJ-Kenya
P.O Box 59743- 00200
Nairobi, KENYA
Fax: 254-2-3875982


Legislative Review Opinions

Under the Case Support activity of the African Human Rights and Access to Justice Programme, individual lawyers within private law firms, non-governmental organizations, university law clinics and other organizations may develop an opinion to support and promote the aims of the Programme at domesticating international human rights standards. AHRAJ has a thematic approach in terms of which appropriate cases will relate to labour rights; women's rights; fair trial & criminal justice; health rights and HIV Aids; and, access to justice rights.

The cases which are supported are those presenting emerging legal issues in international and domestic human rights standards, those seeking to extend current national law to reflect international standards and to new situations, those challenging an existing body of law, and those in which human rights defenders have been improperly subjected to sanctions.


Apply to Develop Legislative Review Papers

Download the Principles, Policies and Procedure Paper for Legislative Review Opinions

For inquiries email info@icj-kenya.org