Marriage Rights Clinic (2022-23)
In the summer of 2022, CFHR launched the first Marriage Rights Clinical Programme with support from the American Bar Association - Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) to enhance students’ overall understanding, knowledge and skills with respect to women’s marriage rights in Pakistan, both from a substantive and procedural standpoint, with specific focus on the nikkahnama and the rights therein. During June 2022 - April 2023, CFHR implemented two Clinical Programmes on Marriage Rights and also supported colleagues at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women’s University Peshawar (SBBWUP) to implement one clinical programme.
While the broader objectives of the Clinical Programme was to provide law students with an opportunity to experience learning through doing and to mould young lawyers into rights-based advocates. An added objective was to combat disinformation surrounding women’s marriage rights in Pakistan and build a community of defenders that are adequately equipped to identify, intervene and prevent violation of women’s marriage rights in Pakistan.
The clinical programme provided participants with the following:
- An understanding of women’s rights under international human rights law as well as in the context of the Pakistani legal system.
- An in-depth understanding of women's rights in marriage in Pakistan, the Nikkahnama, and laws and procedures governing the same.
- An understanding of the ethical and professional issues that will be faced by a practising lawyer.
- An understanding of the interconnectedness of legal rights issues with social, economic and cultural norms and how they impact each other, particularly in the case of women’s rights.
- The ability to work as part of a team and manage multiple demands under time and resource constraints.
- Knowledge of methods of legal research and ability to conduct legal research by using local and international resources / databases / tools and instruments.
- Experience and expertise in providing legal advice to women on family law related issues.
- Understanding of case preparation, client handling, case file preparation, and also how to advocate for a client in a mock court setting.
- Sensitisation to the different aspects of becoming a human rights lawyer, specifically on family law related cases.
- Provide speedy and affordable services to those people inside and outside the university, who cannot afford access to the courts.
Student Contributions
In the summer of 2022, CFHR launched the first Marriage Rights Clinical Programme with support from the American Bar Association - Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) to enhance students’ overall understanding, knowledge and skills with respect to women’s marriage rights in Pakistan, both from a substantive and procedural standpoint, with specific focus on the nikkahnama and the rights therein. During June 2022 - April 2023, CFHR implemented two Clinical Programmes on Marriage Rights and also supported colleagues at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women’s University Peshawar (SBBWUP) to implement one clinical programme.
While the broader objectives of the Clinical Programme was to provide law students with an opportunity to experience learning through doing and to mould young lawyers into rights-based advocates. An added objective was to combat disinformation surrounding women’s marriage rights in Pakistan and build a community of defenders that are adequately equipped to identify, intervene and prevent violation of women’s marriage rights in Pakistan.
The clinical programme provided participants with the following:
- An understanding of women’s rights under international human rights law as well as in the context of the Pakistani legal system.
- An in-depth understanding of women's rights in marriage in Pakistan, the Nikkahnama, and laws and procedures governing the same.
- An understanding of the ethical and professional issues that will be faced by a practising lawyer.
- An understanding of the interconnectedness of legal rights issues with social, economic and cultural norms and how they impact each other, particularly in the case of women’s rights.
- The ability to work as part of a team and manage multiple demands under time and resource constraints.
- Knowledge of methods of legal research and ability to conduct legal research by using local and international resources / databases / tools and instruments.
- Experience and expertise in providing legal advice to women on family law related issues.
- Understanding of case preparation, client handling, case file preparation, and also how to advocate for a client in a mock court setting.
- Sensitisation to the different aspects of becoming a human rights lawyer, specifically on family law related cases.
- Provide speedy and affordable services to those people inside and outside the university, who cannot afford access to the courts.
Student Contributions
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Local Action, Global Impact
We work across Pakistan, driving legal reform, advocacy, and policy change to protect human rights and empower communities.