LACoN and International IDEA are developing new screening procedures to identify survivors of gender-based violence seeking legal assistance.
The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACoN) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) are developing new screening procedures to identify survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) whose experiences of abuse may remain undisclosed during legal aid consultations.
The procedures are designed to help legal aid practitioners detect signs of abuse in cases involving child custody, matrimonial disputes, maintenance, inheritance and tenancy.
Director-General of LACoN, Aliyu Abubakar, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday, October 14, at a validation workshop organised by both institutions under the European Union-funded Support to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria programme.
He said fear of retaliation, stigma, trauma, economic dependence and social barriers often prevent survivors from disclosing abuse when seeking legal assistance.
According to him, existing procedures focus mainly on legal representation and alternative dispute resolution, leaving some cases of violence, coercion and intimidation undetected.
The proposed tools include revised client intake forms LAC 2 for criminal cases and LAC 3 for civil cases, alongside guidelines and checklists to help practitioners identify different forms of abuse.
Abubakar said the tools would guide legal aid practitioners in recognising physical, psychological and other forms of abuse while protecting survivors’ confidentiality, obtaining their consent and safeguarding their personal data.
He added that the guidelines would establish referral pathways to connect survivors with specialised legal, psychosocial and protection services, including access to remedies under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 and other relevant laws.
The Director-General said both Council lawyers and pro bono legal aid providers would use the tools to improve early identification and support for survivors.
Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch, Yakubu Philemon, said the association had recorded about 112 gender-based violence cases nationwide, with more than half of the affected persons receiving support.
Philemon said the NBA would continue collaborating with law enforcement agencies to support investigations and prosecutions where sufficient evidence exists.
Executive Director of the Sexual Offences Awareness and Response Initiative and member of the tools’ Technical Working Group, Chinyere Eyoh, said the way legal aid officers questioned clients and the environment in which consultations took place could determine whether survivors disclosed abuse.
She called for confidential, survivor-centred responses, adequate staff training and effective referrals to relevant support services.
Senior Programme Manager for the Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence programme at International IDEA, Mufuliat Fijabi, urged stakeholders to sustain collaboration to strengthen responses to gender-based violence.
Representing the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu, Ngozi Okorie identified financial constraints as a major barrier preventing survivors from pursuing legal action and called for stronger institutional collaboration.
The initiative seeks to address gaps in identifying abuse at legal aid offices. Its effectiveness will depend on the adoption and implementation of the proposed tools, staff training and the availability of appropriate referral services.
By News Scope Africa
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