Chad has about 12 million inhabitants…and 135 practising lawyers, almost all based in the capital, N’Djamena. Fortunately, they are not the only ones defending people’s rights: supervised and trained by national organisations and by ASF, paralegals provide legal aid services to the most destitute. Make a donation: help us to improve the working conditions of paralegals and ensure the quality of the services they provide.

This autumn, ASF presents a portrait of justice in Chad, through interviews with four people who are active in defending human rights in the country. Guerimbaye Midaye is a lawyer in the bar association of Chad. He has been active for almost 30 years within the Ligue Tchadienne des Droits de l’Homme, of which he is now the president. For him, combining his roles as a lawyer and as a human rights defender makes obvious sense. “There is a very strong link between the two.”

This autumn, ASF presents a portrait of justice in Chad, through interviews with four people who are active in defending human rights in the country. Pyrrhus Banadji Boguel is the President of the Collectif des Associations de Défense des Droits de l’Homme (a group of associations for the defence of human rights). A lawyer who has always been driven by the desire to serve his community, he defends human rights in order to “give a voice to people who have none.”

This autumn, ASF presents a portrait of justice in Chad, through interviews with four people who are active in defending human rights in the country.
This week, Delphine Djiraibe, founder of the Public Interest Law Center, talks to us about the fundamental role of paralegals, the first point of contact for people in Chad when they are looking for justice.

This autumn, ASF presents a portrait of justice in Chad, through interviews with four people who are active in defending human rights in the country. This week, Doumra Manassé shares his vision of the role of lawyers and their place in society in Chad. “People see us as civil servants or as traders. We are neither.”

Begin May, the European Union officially renewed its support for Avocats Sans Frontières’ work in Chad, allowing the organisation to continue its efforts to protect human rights in the country. This provides an opportunity to look back over some results achieved to date and look toward the challenges to come.

If access to justice is to be sustainable, the capacity of international actors such as ASF should also be sustainable. In essence that is the message from ASF Executive Director, Francesca Boniotti, on the occasion of the publication of the NGO’s 2015 Annual Report.

Following on from International Justice Day, ASF recognises the courage of the men and women who fight against the impunity of those behind international crimes. As well as a brief statement about the actions of the International Criminal Court, the NGO has taken a look at the sometimes overlooked consequences of international crimes.

On Human Rights Day, ASF pays tribute to civil society organisations (CSOs) committed to the defence of human rights. These partners of ASF such as human rights associations and bar associations work to make justice accessible to everyone, including the most vulnerable groups of people. Whether in Burundi, Tunisia or Chad, where their working conditions are sometimes difficult, these CSOs are on the front line when it comes to promoting fundamental rights.

Despite justice reforms undertaken in recent years, the population of Chad still encounters numerous obstacles when trying to obtain access to justice. Given this situation, civil society organisations (CSOs) are taking action and providing legal advice and assistance: ASF is supporting three of these CSOs in their efforts to protect human rights.