By Ikome Christie-NoellaEposi in Buea
Some 75 legal practitioners drawn from the South West and North West regions have benefited from a three-day training workshop organised by the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA).
From March 23 to March 25, 2022 in Buea, the workshop was geared toward training the lawyers and improving their skills as concerns strategic litigations and was headed CHRDA in collaboration with REDHAC and the British High Commission in Yaoundé.
While noting that a human rights advocate must be able to fight in a peaceful manner, the CHRDA boss, Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor Balla gave an overview of the concept of strategic litigation, general principles and methods. He told the lawyers to have a good communication strategy, make use of the media, have a victim centered perspective, ensure follow-up to gain an effective and wider impact, engage in continued advocacy, keep track of key organizations and stakeholders who can help amplify the case and also keep an open mind.
“This is very important because of the crisis we have had in the last five years. We thought it was necessary to train lawyers on human rights and strategic litigation because there are so many things they could strategically litigate to raise awareness and use it as a tool for advocacy and address burning issues in our laws that we have failed to address”, Bar. Agbor Nkongho
“Litigation cannot exist in isolation. You must learn to look beyond strategic litigation and also put a campaign which will make it easier for you to succeed”, he mentioned.
Dr. Wabi and Dr. Gatsi gave an overview concept of Human Rights and thereafter there was a panel discussion on the Regional System and application of key human rights treaties and procedures for litigation at the regional level.
The lawyers were also schooled on implementing cases from the African Commission and court, they equally had a panel discussion on the UN system, how strategic litigations are used before national courts/institutions etc.
Talking to the press, the head of the legal unit at CHRDA, Bar. Babiene Sona said the training is very much needed and timely because the strategic litigation advocates for more change and reforms in the law. “So many times we have lacunas in laws and we do not know how to go about it but with strategic litigation, it helps us to be precise and put into perspective the kind of areas of interest that we have to hamper on and what change it can bring”.
The president of female lawyers in Bamenda, Bar. Immaculate Bih Fai on her part, added that strategic litigation is a very important topic which most of them lawyers have not exploited. “It is all about identifying a case which has an impact to the society and find a way to bring it to the court and make it work. This includes bringing in other stakeholders and even the media to help propagate it so that you can get positive results. It is very important for us as lawyers to know how to litigate strategically”.
“I feel fulfilled that we have gone through the three days hitch free. Everything was successful. The lawyers from here have to start litigating strategically and putting the victim at the center of their litigation, how to protect and promote human rights and how to be professional in the way they articulate human rights violation. Further training for trainers will be done in the months of April and May. We want to put these lawyers at the center of strategic litigation in this country”, Bar. Agbor Nkongho granting a press interview after the three day workshop.
With its mission to enhance the promotion, protection and respect for human rights, democracy and good governance, CHRDA is a civil society, Human Rights and Humanitarian organization which also seeks to develop strategies and gather resources in securing compliance with human rights norms, keep violence/abuses to a minimum etc. Asides from the organization of such workshops, CHRDA also focuses on humanitarian aspects by providing assistance to persons affected by violence and provides free vocational training to the underprivileged.