The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) continues to elevate its leadership in advancing human rights, human dignity, and equal access to justice at the continental level.
Representing the LRC, Enock Jengre, Lawyer and Programme Officer, is participating in the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), taking place at the King Fahd Palace Hotel in Dakar, Senegal.
This year’s continental convening in Senegal marks a direct continuation of the LRC’s sustained advocacy for justice sector reform. In October 2025, Mr. Jengre represented the LRC at the 85th Ordinary Session in Banjul, The Gambia, where the organization actively shaped discussions at the African Regional Forum on People-Centered Justice. During the Banjul sittings, the LRC and its alliance partners engaged in high-level sideline consultations with ACHPR Commissioners—including Hon. Dr. Litha Musyimi-Ogana—securing crucial commitment to embed grassroots legal empowerment into the Commission’s normative framework.
Building on the momentum generated in Banjul, the LRC’s together with the Alliance mission at the 89th Session in Dakar focuses on driving regional consensus toward a historic milestone: the adoption of the “Resolution on the Recognition and Strengthening of Diverse/Alternative Justice Pathways and Legal Empowerment in Africa”.
Bridging the Continental Justice Gap
Across Africa, over 80% of citizens, particularly rural, indigent, and marginalized populations, resolve grievances through customary institutions, community dispute mechanisms, and paralegal-supported legal empowerment hubs. Formal state judiciaries often remain geographically distant, financially prohibitive, or procedurally complex.
Working as a core member of the Grassroots Justice Network (GJN) and the African Alliance for People-Centered Justice (AAPCJ), alongside Namati, the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative (Nigeria), and Kituo Cha Sheria (Kenya), the LRC has played a pivotal role in drafting, refining, and championing this draft resolution.
“Justice cannot remain a distant privilege reserved for those who can navigate complex court procedures,” stated Enock Jengre, Lawyer and Programme Officer at LRC. “Our intervention at the ACHPR is grounded in the daily realities of our communities. By establishing continental norms that formally recognize community-based justice pathways while enforcing strict human rights safeguards, we ensure that the most vulnerable—especially women, children, and persons with disabilities—are fully protected and empowered.”
Grounding Advocacy in Continental Rights Frameworks
The draft resolution spearheaded by the LRC and its Pan-African allies directly operationalizes key African Union and international instruments:
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: Implements Article 7 (the right to be heard and access to competent national organs) and Article 45 (the Commission’s mandate to promote and protect human rights).
ACHPR Precedents: Aligns with the Lilongwe Declaration on Accessing Legal Aid (ACHPR/Res.100), the Ouagadougou Declaration on Penal Reform (promoting restorative justice and community referrals), and the Principles and Guidelines on Fair Trial.
AU Agenda 2063 & Global Goals: Advances Aspiration 3 (Goal 11) of Agenda 2063 for good governance, democratic rule, and human dignity, alongside Sustainable Development Goal Target 16.3 on equal access to justice for all.
Crucially, Clause IV of the draft resolution mandates Member States to enforce explicit human rights safeguards protecting women and marginalized groups against harmful or discriminatory practices, ensuring that informal justice operates in full alignment with the African Charter.
LRC’s Enduring Commitment to Human Dignity
The LRC’s active role at the 89th Session underscores its foundational mandate: defending fundamental freedoms, expanding community legal literacy, empowering local paralegals, and building inclusive legal systems that uphold human dignity for all citizens across Ghana and the broader African continent.
