As the second iteration of the Greater Access to Defense and Justice (GADJET) concludes, New-Rule has sought to build the sustainability architecture of Kano’s First Public Defender’s Office (PDO). New-Rule led a series of technical training sessions to build staff and organizational capacity. Throughout 2020, New-Rule, in partnership with PartnersGlobal and Partners West Africa-Nigeria, hosted workshops for 14 PDO staff members on mediation, case management and monitoring, and data-driven advocacy for securing access to justice for all Nigerians. A complementary PDO sustainability guide was spearheaded by New-Rule with project partners to help identify new sources of revenue, partners and clients to develop case studies and stories to communicate the office’s successes. 

New-Rule is proud to celebrate the end of the Greater Access to Defense and Justice (GADJET) project in partnership with PartnersGlobal and Partners West Africa-Nigeria (PWAN). Since 2016, the office has assisted hundreds of accused individuals in need of legal aid and won several high profile cases — one of which involved the rape of a 6-month old child. This ruling in favor of a minor set a historic legal precedent for future child rights cases in Kano. As the PDO enters its fifth year of operation, it is important for the Office to maintain its momentum for growth and improve capacity for justice delivery. Ultimately, New-Rule’s efforts under GADJET serve to ensure one thing: no Kano resident will ever have to go without legal representation.