REDRESS’s Innovative Lawyers Awards, granted under the umbrella of the United Against Torture Consortium, encourage and empower a new generation of lawyers in the anti-torture movement to challenge the use of torture in their communities.
The aim of the awards is to recognise the vital work of new and emerging anti-torture champions, expose them to a broader peer support network, offer them some financial support to pursue public interest litigation, and to inspire other lawyers and practitioners.
The United Against Torture Consortium is working to challenge torture used to silence those who dissent and to further oppress marginalised and excluded minorities by using strategic litigation. We work with national civil society partners to hold governments to account and to protect those who may feel powerless to respond to such abuses.
Meet the Winners
Emilija Švobaitė of Sienos Grupė and ReLex Law Firm studied history of art and then French literature before devoting her career to human rights law.
“The biggest challenge in Lithuania is our geopolitical context. We have a war happening very near to us in Ukraine, and our history is one of occupation over many years. Human rights activists and lawyers are often presented as being in opposition to national security.”
Nina has been connected to the anti-torture field since her Bachelor of Law. She is currently studying for a MA degree in law and is a member of the Rio de Janeiro State Front for Decarceration. She is also part of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro’s student research group on the Inter-American Human Rights System and a fellow researcher at the Institute of Applied Economic Research where she investigates the impacts of mass incarceration.
Manushika Cooray of Human Rights Law Chambers, winner of one of REDRESS’s Innovative Lawyers Awards, spoke with REDRESS about tackling torture in Sri Lanka as a female lawyer and advancing the anti-torture movement.
Manushika is a founding partner of the Human Rights Law Chamber, which handles cases related to human rights violations, and a consultant on human rights and legal researcher at the Centre for Society and Religion in Colombo.
Dr. Tshepang Edwin Makwatiis a recipient of one of REDRESS’s Innovative Lawyers Awards. He spoke with REDRESS about his work litigating cases of torture in Botswana and securing reparationfor victims throughMakwatiT.E. Law Group, the law firm that he founded. He also discussed his commitment to mentoring young professionals in human rights advocacy and his efforts to advance the anti-torture movement.