About LRI
Since 2002
Legal Research Initiative (LRI) is a non-governmental organisation established in 2002, primarily to work on research, training and justice sector reform.
Over the years of its existence, LRI has worked with both governmental and non-governmental agencies in achieving its primary objectives. We have continued to impact the wider justice sector through research projects, advocacy work, legislative reform and intellectual support services to various justice sector bodies.
LRI projects cut across topical legal issues, institutional reform, anti-corruption, developmental projects etc. We have led in the area of criminal justice reform and have participated actively in the present attempt at reform of the criminal justice system through the Administration of Justice Bill. Through its research activities, seminars, workshops and other projects, LRI has contributed to the growth and development of the justice sector by enlightening stakeholders and other key role players of the Nigerian justice sector.
LRI adopts practical methodologies in conducting research by engaging all stakeholders and other participant groups in the justice sector. These include the use of questionnaires, field interviews, data retrieval, literature review stakeholder workshops, and field work, etc.
We have through our previous projects built a network with key private and public sector figures that has enabled us to be a leading player in the in research and consulting work. Through our various training programs we have also been able to infuse stakeholder feedback as a critical indicator in most of our projects.
LRI has done a variety of justice sector reform projects that have included research and data review and evaluation. An example of such a project was the study on the legal environment and judicial system for follow-up of state audit reports. The study involved extensive study in 6 states and designing of program for implementation as a follow up for implementation by the EU. LRI was also actively involved in the follow-up workshops on the pilot integrity study under this project. These and many other justice sector projects we have done give LRI a hands-on experience and capacity.
The LRI project team comprises of seasoned professionals with outstanding expertise in research and sector reform. Members of the team have had various training on Information and Communication Technology, Data Proceessing and Management, Social Welfare, International Criminal Law, Human Rights, and Economics among others and have prior to now consulted in individual capacity for many governmental and non-governmntal agencies.
In the recent years LRI has partnered with as well as acted as consultants on several issues with many organisations. Some of them are as follows:
- Conducted research into the ‘Reform of Gender-biased Sexual Offences Laws’ a one-year project with the support of the Ford Foundation.
- Consultant/Legal Expert to UNDP/Viet Nam on Legislative Assessment of Draft Investment law of Viet Nam.
- Legal Advisor/Consultant to the World Bank/DFID on Civil Service Reforms in Nigeria. Project involved Legal and regulatory review of human resource systems in the civil service and other such state institutions, in the Federal Government of Nigeria.
- Consultant/Legal Expert to UNDP/Viet Nam on Legislative Assessment of Draft Unified Enterprise Law. Project included an assessment of the Draft Unified Enterprise Law and Competition law of Viet Nam. 2005
- Conducted research ‘into the Reform of the Bail Process’ funded by the DFID through the British Council.
- Conducted research into and prepared the Bill on Violence Against Women funded by the International Human Rights Law Group, with primary funding from the MacArthur Foundation.
- Served as Consultants to the European Commission to conduct research on the Legal Environment and the Judicial System (as part of the EMCAP programme)
- Serves as Consultants to the Rivers State Ministry of Justice to edit report and publish fifteen volumes of selected judgments of the Rivers State High Court.
- Has served as Consultants to the House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Youth Development over the last eighteen months to define a legislative agenda on women and youth as well as to organise a Women and Youth Summit.
- Served as consultants to the Senate Committee on Local Government.
- Coordinated and produced the African Development Bank, Nigeria office country strategy paper.
- Served as the Governance/Institutions Consultant to DFID’s HIV/AIDS Institutional Review.
- Served as consultants to UNAID and NACA on the Draft bill to set up a National Multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS Commission.
- Drafted the new bill on Revenue Sharing Formula.
- Produced a manual on Election Petitions for DFID.
- Drafted the new Bill on the National Refugee Commission.
- Facilitated induction for members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
- Domestication of the treaty on torture funded by the MacArthur Foundation. 2003 to 2006
- Editing and publication of judgments of the Bayelsa State High Court
- Monitoring of courts in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja funded by (USAID) through National Center for State Courts.
In the past few years LRI has under a grant provided by the Macarthur Foundation established torture documentation centers at 6 regional offices of the National Human Rights Commission.
In addition LRI funded the first recorded litigation against torture and obtained judgment and compensation against the Police on behalf of torture victim
The LRI has expanded research facilities which includes a good Library with diverse literature in, Justice Sector Reforms, Human Rights, Access to Justice, ICT, Child Rights, legislation, research database, and pool of interdisciplinary experts etc.
Objectives of LRI
Our objectives are designed to bridge the gap between law and society by fostering informed dialogue, innovative research, and impactful advocacy. We strive to advance legal knowledge through targeted studies, focusing on national laws and issues of gender bias while providing high-level consulting support for regulatory reviews through:
Conduct of research into National laws
Provide high level consulting support for regulatory reviews
Conduct of studies on laws with gender bias
Organisation of conferences, seminars, workshops, and meetings on topical issues.
Development of curricular for humanitarian law, administrative law and other recondite areas for institutions that would desire it.
Collaboration with both Government and non-governmental agencies with a view to promoting legal research and reform
Promotion of good governance through legislative advocacy, transparency and anti-corruption advocacy in the Justice sector.
Development of research skills of Legislative Aides and Law Clerks in the Judiciary.
Engaging in such other activity as may be considered necessary for the purpose of promoting research and learning.ion of good governance through legislative advocacy, transparency and anti-corruption advocacy in the Justice sector.
Engaging in publication of research works and dissemination.
