Mr. Rights Blog

The British gave up their last colonies in Africa half a century ago. But they left their wigs behind. Not just any wigs. They are the long, white, horsehair locks worn by high court judges (and King George III). They are so old-fashioned and so uncomfortable, that even British barristers have stopped wearing them. But in former British colonies — Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Malawi and others — they live on, worn by judges and lawyers. Now, a new generation of African jurists is asking: Why are the continent’s most prominent legal minds still wearing the trappings of the colonizers? It’s not just a question of aesthetics. The wigs and robes are perhaps the most glaring symbol of colonial inheritance at a time when that history is being dredged up in all sorts of ways. This year, Tanzanian President John Magufuli described a proposed free-trade agreement with Europe as a “form of colonialism.” In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe still refers to the British as “thieving colonialists...

By Abdulrazaq O Hamzat Amasa A Firdaus A law graduate or lawyer that cannot defend his or her own basic rights as contained in the constitution does not deserve to be called a legal practitioner. Why because, such person is not fit to defend the right of others. You can’t defend the right of others, if you can’t defend your own rights. This is why I have always maintained that there are very few lawyers in Nigeria who deserve to be called legal practitioners, what we have are business men and women who trade in the legal profession. If not, the abusive system in the Nigerian Law School could not have been tolerated for this long without much resistance. It appeared lawyers are now trained to be docile, so they could not defend human right,but to wear wig and collect certificate. For the Nigerian law school, which has become notorious in flagrant violation of basic rights of many Nigerians, including female Muslim Students who have been consistently denied their right to decent ...

A man simply known as Mahadine, who bravely spoke out against the Chadian government on Facebook is now in prison, and living in dire conditions. In a global campaign by Amnesty International Write for Rights, Leonor Rebassa said Mahadine is a father of seven and an online activist. According to Amnesty International, ''Mahadine told us that after he posted videos online criticizing the government, he was arrested and detained. He was beaten, electrocuted and starved of food and water for days. His health is deteriorating and if he does not receive treatment soon, his life will be at risk. The organization is asking people to sign a petition and demand the Chadian government releases Mahadine immediately. The freedom to say what we think about our governments is something we all have the right to do. He has done nothing wrong. More and more people are being punished for speaking out against the government in Chad. If we do not protect those who are being punished,...