public interest law programme

the programme       the lesotho project

Public interest law is law that serves the interest of the public - not just one client; but an entire cause. It is often difficult to access public interest lawyers in developing countries. This is owing to a lack of lawyers trained in this particular field, poverty, and little available legal aid. Protimos aims to provide public interest lawyers to indigenous and marginalised communities, to enable them to assert their legal rights. A proportion of any damages or compensation won will be placed back into a fund which will then be used to finance similar projects elsewhere, thus making our work sustainable.

The principle project of our Public Interest Law Programme is The Lesotho Project, where 30,000 people in Lesotho have been displaced to make way for dams constructed as part of the Lesotho Highland Water Project. They have lost their homes and their livelihoods, but many have not received the compensation to which they are entitled under the law. Protimos lawyers have started working in partnership with representatives from the community and NGOs to seek compensation and damages.