Stop Press Archive
Dan Hart's Summer Work in Nigeria
Impressive news from Rank Fellow Dan Hart, about to embark on the final year of his undergraduate degree course at Manchester University. Dan has spent the summer working in Nigeria for The Equality Foundation. Dan has been particularly involved in a project which trains stenographers who will go on to work for the Ministry of Justice in Lagos, a key development in speeding up the course of justice in the country.
Dan writes "Currently the legal system here is in a mess, this has a lot to do with the length of time court hearings take due to the current recording system (judges take down everything long-hand during hearings), and the tampering of hearings by many of the judges. This creates a vast backlog of cases needing to be heard - cases which should take days take months or years (during which those involved are kept in prison without charges). Compounding the problem is the corruption that gets played out throughout the legal system. The school aims to train verbatim reporters who cover hearings instead of judges, and whom are also trained in legal ethics to ensure transparency and accountability. It all continues to fascinate me."