Legal services in rural Africa : report of a seminar held at Limuru,near Nairobi

May 1, 1985

The seminar was held from 1 to 4 October 1984, and organized by the African Bar Association, the All-Africa Conference of Churches and the ICJ.

The report contains an introduction, a list of participants, conclusions and recommendations (introduction, the content and method of educational services, organization, para-legal field workers, training of paralegals, evaluation, the African Charter) and extracts from speeches made at the seminar.

From the Conclusions and recommendations:

“1. Many if not most people living in rural areas

• are unaware of their legal rights, lack formal education,
• are liable to exploitation, have no access to legal services, and
• are too poor to pay for them.

Hence, there is an urgent need to provide legal services of all kinds as a contribution to self-reliant rural
development.
2. The participants were concerned to find ways of making these services available. It was agreed that lawyers
engaged on this task should work together with members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working
for community development who have the confidence of the rural people. These include but are not limited to church groups, women’s and youth organizations, health workers, adult education and other extension workers.”

Africa-legal services in rural Africa-publications-seminar report-1984-eng (full text in English, PDF)

Human rights in Ghana : report of a mission

Nov 1, 1984

Report of a mission by Professor Cees Flinterman for the ICJ and Netherlands Institute of Human Rights.

As a result o f a series of seminars, the International Commission of Jurists has become increasingly concerned with the relationship between human rights and development, an d has participated actively in the promotion of the concept of the right to development as a human right.

It was from this perspective that the International Commission was extremely interested in sending a representative to Ghana who would be able to in form it not only a bout the administration and safeguards to ensure fair trials and defence rights, but also more generally about the situation concerning human rights in the light  of the right to development.

The report contains an introduction to Ghana and the mission, chapters on the administration of justice and human rights, and final remarks and recommendations.

The report was published by the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) as SIM Special No.  4.

Ghana-human rights-fact-finding mission-1984-eng (full text in English, PDF)