Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P.

and

Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights

invite you to attend

A TALE OF TWO LEGAL SYSTEMS:

PROTECTING DUE PROCESS IN NIGERIA

Presented by

Hauwa Ibrahim

Thursday, February 16, 2006, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

at

Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P.

2800 LaSalle Plaza
800 LaSalle Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Recently ending it’s 40-year military rule, Nigeria is a new democracy with multiple legal systems that include the Sharia Law and Common Law systems. Ms. Hauwa Ibrahim, attorney at law, is on the forefront in Nigeria defending the individual right to due process within the Sharia system, and strengthening respect for it within the Common Law system as a whole. Ms. Hauwa will speak on her role as an attorney in northern Nigeria and the importance of due process and consistency in judicial decisions from the perspective of a society struggling with democracy.

Hauwa Ibrahim has been in the news since her successful defense of Amina Lawal, a young Nigerian woman who was sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery in 2002.  She is the first female lawyer from her community in northern Nigeria where she works to defend women accused of adultery under Sharia law.  In addition to her work as an advocate, Ms. Hauwa is a lecturer at the University of Abuja, and a senior partner at the Aires Law Firm in Garki Abuja.  She has also worked for Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice. 

Ms. Hauwa’s honors include the 2005 European Union Sakharov Prize (past winners include Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi), the 2004 ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, a Humphrey Fellowship at the Washington College of Law, American University in 2004, and a 2005 Yale World Fellowship where she has joined in “a global network of emerging leaders and to broaden international understanding at Yale.”

Lectures are free and open to the public with advance registration.  This is a "brown bag" event and lunches will not be provided.  Application will be made for 1.0 CLE credit. You may find directions to Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P. at: www.rkmc.com/Minneapolis.htm

To register for this event or for more information contact Aaron Van Alstine at Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights by noon on Tuesday, February 14.  Phone: (612) 341-3302 x 127, or [email protected].