The students on the LLM/MPhil programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa are assigned to human rights clinics which contributes to the work of the Centre’s Research Units and give the students practical experience and advance the Centre’s mission towards the realisation of human rights in Africa.
Clinic Mandate 2023
10 years of the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa
Access to information is a fundamental right that is necessary for democratic governance and accountability. Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) provides that “every individual shall have the right to receive information”. It is therefore the responsibility of State Parties to create an atmosphere that fosters access to information and to ensure adequate disclosure and dissemination of information in a manner that offers the necessary facilities and eliminates existing obstacles to its attainment. In 2013 the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa. The Model Law provides guidance on the form and content of the legislation to be enacted to give effect to article 9 of the African Charter. The Model Law embodies the international, regional or sub-regional standards on access to information. It is an instrument that can be utilised in the adoption or review of national legislation on access to information as it entails detailed and practical content on Member States’ legislative obligations with respect to the right of access to information.
Clinic Member 2023
In 2022, working with three students, the project provided research support for the LEXOTA platform. They undertook an international human rights review of existing laws and government actions with respect to disinformation and disinformation laws in 19 countries. The countries are Somalia, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Namibia, the Gambia, Eswatini, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Botswana. The project also drafted a shadow report for Kenya with respect to Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) at the 71st session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) held in May 2022.
Clinic Members 2022
In 2021, the project prepared shadow reports for the state party reports submitted by Niger and Malawi to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission). The reports assessed the state of freedom of expression and the right of access to information in Niger and Malawi and made the necessary recommendations. In addition to that, the project developed three country reports for Nigeria (access here) and South Africa (access here), analysing national policies on Artificial Intelligence (AI) from a human rights perspective focusing on access to information and freedom of expression. #Tech4Rights Expo
Clinic Members 2021
