Human Rights Program Brings Justice to Developing World
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Human Rights Program Brings Justice to Developing World

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Student volunteers with the Global Human Rights Law Program (GLHRLP) returned home to cheers and high praise Sunday after solving a major international legal crisis.

Each year, the GLHRLP hand-picks a number of University of Toronto Faculty of Law students to travel abroad and furnish under-developed nations with high-quality legal services, despite being unqualified to practise law in their home country.

“This is so, like, overwhelming,” said Katie March, 2L.

“You go over there thinking you’re just one intern, you can’t change the world. But then you see the looks on people’s faces once you’ve imported the Anglo-American justice system, and maybe even helped solve a major geopolitical dilemma in the process, and you realize one person really can make a difference.”

March was part of a team of four interns who headed to the small West African nation of Biafra in order to study its failing legal system, and possibly author a research paper on strategies for law reform, based on their combined seven years of law school experience.

Upon arrival, the team of eager future-lawyers faced a small setback upon discovering that the experimental secessionist state had been dissolved in 1970. Nevertheless, they continued working, fearing their funding could be withdrawn if university officials discovered they had funded a project for a country that no longer exists.

“The Wikipedia page on International Human Rights Law is quite extensive,” March explained, adding, “Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t just copy from Wikipedia. We looked at some of the footnotes on the Wikipedia page too.”

“We basically critique the Nigerian government’s disregard for international law, and stress the importance of fairness and equality, and the rule of law.”

Before long, the paper had gone viral. Their findings were reported in the Nigerian press, and they were asked to comment on Nigerian radio, and even address the Nigerian parliament.

“This is a great paper,” said one magazine vendor in Lagos. “I showed it to my wife, and she agreed it was well-written and properly footnoted.”

March’s final internship report, which she reportedly wrote in a mad dash on the eve of her deadline, has become popular reading on the Nigerian street. Sources say it has been widely circulated at high-level meetings of both the ruling and opposition factions.

Experts say the paper has sparked debate in the disadvantaged country, leading to a change in zeitgeist that could serve as a catalyst for dramatic civic reform.

The Nigerian government asked the team to remain in the country in order to help draft a new constitution, but the students were not able to get excused from the coming semester.

“We have a very strict policy about internships abroad,” said Archdean Valarie Henson. “Students may only do a maximum of one semester away from U of T. Regrettably no exceptions are permitted.”

“That being said, we do recognize that bringing the rule of law to a needy country is also an important objective,” Henson added.

An unofficial spokesperson for Dean Mayo Moran said the dean was too overcome with pride to talk to reporters, but said that the entire administration was, “giddy and full of excitement.”

“This is great advertisement for the Faculty of Law,” the spokesperson said, adding that good press may enable administrators to jack up tuition to even greater heights.

“This just goes to show the tremendous success that U of T students can achieve,” the spokesperson said. “Our students make tremendous contributions to the legal community, from volunteering to helping those who can’t be bothered to earn enough money to pay for their own lawyers, to importing some elementary ideas about law and give order to that unmitigated cluster&*^% that is the justice system in the developing world.”

When asked if she planned to continue doing human rights work after graduation, March was uncertain. “Repairing a failing legal system was an amazing experience, and made some great life-long friendships.” she said. “But to be honest, I was making more money during my year off in Paris where I was working as an au pair.”

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