THE LEGAL PRACTITIONER AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

On the 7th of September 1990, the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime andTreatment of Offenders in Havana, Cuba, adopted the Basic Principles on the Role of lawyers. Theinstrument highlights that the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms requiresunhindered access to legal services by independent legal practitioners. This instrument states that theprofessional association of legal practitioners play three vital roles; namely, to uphold professionalethics and standards; to provide legal services to all irrespective of race, gender, origin, religion orpolitics; and lastly, to cooperate with governmental and other institutions in furthering the ends ofjustice and public interest. Despite the above declaration on the role of lawyers and by extension to theprofessional association, effective access to legal services to all persons in present-day Nigeria has notbeen optimally achieved. The crucial question remains whether the role of lawyers in line with thisinstrument has improved human rights protection in Nigeria? This paper concludes that for Nigeria toachieve effective human rights protection, the role of legal practitioners must increase to achieve thejustice needed by millions of victims of human rights violations.