Lawyers with Disabilities Demand Judicial Reforms in Nigeria

At the annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association Lawyers with Disabilities Forum held in Asaba, Delta State, lawyers with disabilities called for judicial reforms to combat exclusion. The forum, chaired by Ms.

Patience Etumudon, emphasized the need to shift from a charity-based approach to a rights-based framework anchored in law. The conference aimed to deepen and strengthen the enforcement of existing disability laws, identify barriers to accessing courtrooms and police stations, and address the weak enforcement of disability laws, poor data collection, and unemployment issues.

The forum highlighted the persistent stigma against persons with disabilities and called for reforms to the 1999 Constitution to amend discriminatory provisions and the Electoral Act. They demanded guaranteed access to public institutions, improved data on disabilities, recognition of diverse disability clusters, and reserved quotas for qualified lawyers with disabilities in judicial appointments.

The group urged the NBA to adopt comprehensive inclusion policies and called on the government to enforce disability rights laws without delay.