Legal and Justice Expert (National DDR Harmonisation Framework) at International Alert

Location: Abuja with regional travel as required
Duration: Up to 3 months with possibility for extension
Reports to: National Team Lead
Application Deadline: 10 May 2025

Background

The Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with partners, is implementing a national DDR Harmonisation Project to develop a comprehensive and unified strategic framework for the Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration of individuals associated with violent extremist organisations (VEOs) and other armed groups. A core pillar of this initiative involves the establishment of a legally grounded and rights-respecting approach to DDR, which upholds national sovereignty while integrating international standards and regional variations.

To this end, the Legal and Justice Expert will play a leading role in aligning existing legal provisions, justice processes, and institutional mandates across federal, state, and community levels. The Expert will ensure that the DDR framework is legally coherent, constitutionally anchored, policy relevant, and consistent with Nigeria’s domestic laws, obligations under international law, and best practices in transitional justice.

Objectives of the Role

• Lead the development of the legal foundation for the national DDR framework.
• Facilitate legal and justice coordination across federal and state institutions, ensuring harmonisation and mutual accountability.
• Ensure all legal dimensions of the DDR programme are evidence-informed, rights-compliant, and community-sensitive.
• Support the articulation of clear eligibility criteria, screening procedures, legal safeguards, and transitional justice options.
• Provide expert guidance to ensure that legal processes governing participation in DDR respect due process and international humanitarian and human rights norms.

Key Responsibilities

1. Legal Framework Development
   • Develop and/or review draft legislation, executive instruments, and policy frameworks required to establish and operationalise the national DDR programme.
   • Define the legal status of DDR participants, clearly establishing the rights, obligations, and consequences of participation or withdrawal.
   • Develop model legal instruments to support state-level adaptation and harmonisation.
2. Eligibility Criteria and Screening Processes
   • Draft clear legal criteria for determining eligibility for DDR, including thresholds for seniority, association with VEOs, or criminal responsibility.
   • Support the development of fair, evidence-based, and transparent screening tools that determine candidate suitability for DDR participation or referral to other pathways (e.g., criminal justice or humanitarian support).
   • Advise on safeguards ensuring respect for presumption of innocence, especially for women and children.
3. Due Process and Rights Guarantees
   • Define procedures to ensure legal review of adverse decisions, especially in cases involving deprivation of liberty or exclusion from the programme.
   • Provide legal oversight mechanisms for detention, release, and reintegration processes.
4. Amnesty, Prosecution, and Transitional Justice
   • Develop guidance on the extent, if any, to which DDR participation may provide protection from prosecution, ensuring compliance with international law (e.g., no amnesty for war crimes, SGBV, child soldier recruitment).
   • Support the creation of a referral pathway for candidates requiring formal prosecution, ensuring timely access to judicial processes.
5. Child Protection and Women’s Rights
   • Ensure legal provisions for the separation of children and women from combatants unless with informed consent.
   • Support development of special legal protection mechanisms for unaccompanied minors and survivors of SGBV.
6. Legal Harmonisation and Coordination
   • Facilitate consultations with Ministry of Justice, law enforcement, judiciary, and human rights institutions to ensure horizontal and vertical coherence of laws and practices.
   • Provide legal advisory support during regional consultations and inter-agency workshops.
7. Legal Compliance and Reporting
   • Draft legal reports and policy briefs that reflect alignment with international norms and donor requirements.
   • Support transparency and accountability efforts through enabling donor and civil society access to legal assessments and tools.

Key Deliverables

• A legally coherent and nationally owned DDR Legal Framework Document.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and legal guidelines for screening, eligibility determination, and rights enforcement.
• Model state-level legal instruments aligned with national policy.
• Legal risk assessment of the DDR process, including compliance gaps and mitigation strategies.
• Draft legal text for referral mechanisms to humanitarian support or prosecution, as applicable.
• Legal input into the design of community reintegration agreements and social contracts.
• Briefs and reports for donor engagement and judicial/governmental decision-making.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree (LLM, JD, or equivalent) in Law, International Humanitarian/Criminal Law, Human Rights Law, or related discipline.
• At least 15 years of professional experience working on justice sector reform, transitional justice, or legal advisory roles in peacebuilding or DDR contexts.
• Proven experience in legislative drafting, legal review, and judicial engagement, ideally across federal and state contexts.
• Deep familiarity with Nigerian constitutional, criminal, and administrative law, and international legal obligations.
• Prior engagement with DDR, counterterrorism, or security sector programming highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to liaise with high-level stakeholders, including government, traditional leaders, civil society, and donors.

Competencies

• High-level analytical and legal drafting skills.
• Strategic leadership and coordination abilities.
• Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Fluency in English required; knowledge of Hausa or other local languages an asset.