Pro-Bono Lawyer at Grassroots Researchers Association (GRA)

Type of Service: Short term
Slot: 4 Openings
Duration: 3 months

Background

• Due to the conflicts in Northeast Nigeria which has resulted in the displacement of persons and led to increase in reported cases of human rights violations, GRA with support from Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) sets partnership on ‘Strengthening Capacity and Oversight on the use of Human Rights Principles in counter terrorism across the Lake Chad region (SCO-HRP Lake Chad) Project.’ The primary goal of the project is to identify, document and empower local actors in the dissemination and uptake of cases of Human Rights Abuses within the context of terrorism and counter terrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin.
• The Project is an initiative of the CDD, and it is currently being implemented in Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger. GRA is the local partner in Nigeria and thus is responsible for implementing a component of the project on behalf of CDD.

Project Title:

• Strengthening the Capacity and Oversight of Human Rights Principles in counter terrorism across Lake Chad region (SCO- HRP Lake Chad) Project

Activity Title:

• Provision of pro-bono legal services for victims of human rights violations in Yobe and Borno State

Purpose of Engagement

• GRA is seeking to engage Pro-bono Lawyers that would review the state of all identified and ongoing cases of human rights violations, leading to next steps of actions and approaches towards ensuring perpetrators are held accountable, validating and fact checking the cases ahead of its use for public purposes in Borno and Yobe State.

Scope of Work

• Participate in Clearing House System for identifying, documenting and holding perpetrators of Human Rights Violations accountable in Borno and Yobe States.
• Validating and fact checking reported cases of human rights violations ahead of their use for public purposes
• Review the state of all identified and ongoing cases of human rights violations, leading to next steps of actions and approaches towards ensuring perpetrators are held accountable
• Attend court sessions and follow up on cases towards ensuring perpetrators are held accountable
• Coordinate court processes and fees, including bail applications, filing fees among other relevant fees that relate to ensuring that the court processes are not hindered or delayed by such fees.
• Develop case documentation tools.