Protection for Human Right – SS1 Citizenship & Heritage Studies Lesson Note (Third Term)

Protection of human rights is the work of bodies that watch for abuses and help victims get justice, mainly the NHRC, NGOs, the judiciary and international courts.

Behavioural objectives

1. Explain why human rights need protection.
2. Describe the work of the National Human Rights Commission.
3. Name examples of NGOs in Nigeria and state how they protect rights.
4. Explain how the judiciary protects human rights.
5. Identify the international courts that protect human rights and say where each is based.

Why do human rights need protection?

Human rights need protection because a person, a company or even the government can try to take them away.

• Rights belong to everyone: every human being has fundamental rights by being born.
• Rights can be violated: a right that nobody defends can be ignored or taken away.
• Protection makes rights real: the guardians below turn rights on paper into freedom in daily life.
• Nigeria’s law: Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution lists the fundamental rights of citizens.

What are examples of human rights abuses?

• Unlawful arrest: holding a person without a lawful reason.
• Torture: cruel or inhuman treatment of a suspect or prisoner.
• Extortion: forcing a citizen to pay money, for example at a police checkpoint.
• Denial of fair hearing: punishing a person, such as expelling a student, without hearing their side.
• Child labour: making children work in place of going to school.

Who are the guardians of human rights?

There are four main guardians of human rights: the NHRC, non-governmental organisations, the judiciary, and international courts and bodies.

What is the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)?

The National Human Rights Commission is a government body set up in 1995 to promote and protect human rights in Nigeria.

• Monitoring: it watches, investigates and reports human rights abuses in the country.
• Visits: it can visit prisons and police cells to check that people are treated fairly.
• Redress: it helps victims of abuse get redress, which means justice or compensation.
• Education: it organises seminars to teach people about their rights.
• Complaints: a citizen can file a complaint at an NHRC office free of charge.

What are Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)?

An NGO is a group of private people who come together to solve a problem and are not part of the government.

• Amnesty International: a worldwide organisation that also works on abuses in Nigeria.
• CLEEN Foundation: works on policing, safety and justice.
• SERAP: the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, which presses for accountable government.

NGOs protect rights in these ways:

• Legal aid: their lawyers defend poor people for free when rights are violated.
• Advocacy: they use social media, peaceful protests and news reports to expose abuses.
• Monitoring: they watch the police, the military and other bodies to check abuse of power.
• Independence: they are free from government control, so they can speak openly.

How does the judiciary protect human rights?

The judiciary is the arm of government made up of the courts, and it is often called the “last hope of the common man”.

• Interpretation: judges read the Constitution to decide whether a right has been broken.
• Enforcement: a judge can order the release of a person arrested illegally.
• Compensation: a court can order the government or an offender to pay a victim of abuse.
• Access: a citizen who feels a right has been violated can take the case to court, for example a High Court.
• Independence: the President or a Governor must not tell a judge what to decide.

What are the international courts that protect human rights?

There are three international courts named in this lesson: the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the ECOWAS Court and the International Criminal Court.

• African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights: based in Arusha, Tanzania, it hears human rights cases from African Union member states that accept its authority.
• ECOWAS Court: based in Abuja, it hears cases from citizens of West African states whose governments violate their rights.
• International Criminal Court (ICC): based at The Hague in the Netherlands, it tries the most serious crimes, such as genocide and crimes against humanity.

How do the guardians compare?

Each guardian is different in type and in what it does best, as the table shows.

What should a citizen do when a right is violated?

A citizen whose rights are violated can report to any of the guardians, following these steps.

1. Write down what happened, with the date, place and names where known.
2. Report the case to the NHRC or to an NGO for advice and free help.
3. Take the case to a court, with a lawyer, if the matter is not settled.
4. Go to an international court such as the ECOWAS Court if the local remedies fail.

Why is this important for a student?

• Lifelong citizenship: you are a student today, but you are a citizen for life.
• Knowing where to go: you can act quickly when a right is violated.
• Respect for others: when people know their rights, it is harder to abuse them.

Class activity

1. Search and find: find the address or phone number of the NHRC office in your state and write it in your notebook.
2. Discussion: a student is expelled from school without a fair hearing. Which guardian should they approach first, and why?
3. Role play: act out a citizen reporting police extortion to an NGO lawyer.

Evaluation

1. In what year was the NHRC set up, and what are two things it does?
2. Name three NGOs that work on human rights in Nigeria.
3. Why must the courts be independent?
4. State where the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the ECOWAS Court and the International Criminal Court are based.

Assignment

In your notebook, explain in your own words how the NHRC and an NGO can each help a person whose rights have been violated.