IGF 2019 WS #14 Strategic litigation and digital rights within juridictions

Subtheme
Issue(s)

Organizer 1: Olumide Babalola, Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative
Organizer 2: Solomon Okedara, Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative
Organizer 3: Shola Adebayo, Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative

Speaker 1: Padraig Hughes, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Lisa nyamadzawo, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 3: Peter Micek, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

Moderator

Olumide Babalola, Technical Community, African Group

Online Moderator

Shola Adebayo, Technical Community, African Group

Rapporteur

Solomon Okedara, Technical Community, African Group

Format

Birds of a Feather - Auditorium - 90 Min

Policy Question(s)

How has stakeholders collaboration improved strategic litigation on digital rights so far? Have digital rights been strategically litigated enough to gain World recognition? Has strategic litigation on digital rights improved the protection and enjoyment of digital rights considerably?

SDGs

GOAL 4: Quality Education
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
GOAL 10: Reduced Inequalities
GOAL 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
GOAL 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Description: Outline 1. Introduction by the moderator 2. Experiences on strategic litigation by panelist 3. Successes recorded in past 4. Areas where improvement is need 5. Parting shots Issues to be discussed How does a stakeholder/lawyer initiate strategic litigation Who takes the first step; the stakeholder or the lawyer? How are networks and/or collaboration achieved? What are the modus operandi How have digital rights fared under strategic litigation Are lawyers playing remarkable roles so far? What group have helped the development of digital rights thus far?

Expected Outcomes: 1. National, Regional and Global network of digital rights lawyers would be formed for the sharing of ideas and protection of digital rights at all levels 2. Network of stakeholders would also be for the sharing of ideas and protection of digital rights at all levels. 3. Attendees would have been enlightened on how to enlist the services of stakeholders and professionals for strategic litigation on digital rights

The session is for birds of a feather (lawyers, civil society members, technicians, government officials etc) - a set of participants who have something in common as far as strategic litigation is concerned. Participants and speakers would be allowed to share their experiences on strategic litigation, their modus and strategies in the past as well as ideas on how to improve their collaboration in the future. It will be interactive in the sense that experiences would be shared and future strategies will be discussed and brainstormed as well.

Relevance to Theme: The policy questions will enlighten attendees on how to (further) collaborate for strategic litigation towards protection of digital rights in their jurisdiction. The policy questions will further encourage attendees to forge alliances and networks among stakeholders for strategic litigation on digital rights in their jurisdictions. The questions will enable attendees to share ideas on experiences and successes recorded in strategic litigation on digital rights over the years.

Relevance to Internet Governance: The session is particularly for the benefit of the private sector, technicians (lawyers especially) and civil society towards forming an alliance for the enforcement and protection of digital rights on one hand as well as their proactive engagement of governments and policy-makers on the other hand, to engender respect for digital rights with the instrumentation of litigation especially.

Online Participation

For the session, we will use the participation tool to stir up discussions on line especially with the aid of local network of professionals that we have created locally thus far.

Proposed Additional Tools: Twitter, facebook, whatsapp chatrooms created for such pruposes.