Freedom of assembly is a fundamental right that underpins all democratic societies. Its enforcement and protection creates a platform through which individuals and groups can get together and express their views, opinions or displeasure on issues affecting their society as well as share ideas.
To this end, this guide has been developed to serve as a tool for the protection, exercise, and enforcement of this right. This guide contains practical steps and guidelines for the enforcement of the right to freedom of assembly in Nigeria.
Freedom of assembly refers to the right of individuals and groups to come together for a common purpose, either to express their views publicly, exchange ideas or to hold a peaceful protest. The right does not apply to assemblies involving violence but covers all gatherings for peaceful purposes irrespective of the degree of public support for the purpose of the gathering.
Peaceful assembly: An assembly is deemed peaceful if its organizers have professed peaceful intentions and the conduct of the assembly is generally non-violent.
This guide is general in scope. It is developed to provide an overview of freedom of assembly as a right and how it can be protected and enforced. This guide will:
It is important to understand that the laws in Nigeria change over time. While this guide provides you with practical steps of enforcing your rights, it is not legal advice and it is important for you to seek and get legal advice from a lawyer or support organisation if you need specific advice.
This guide was put together by a team of Lawyers, CSO experts and Law students in Partnership with NULAI and sponsored by Action 4 Justice.