Ms. Charlotte Tchakounte holds a degree in private law, a certificate in mediation, and has been a lawyer at the Cameroon Bar Association for 21 years. She is the founder of AJURISTES (Association of Jurists for Social Integrity), an association with the general objective of fighting against all forms of injustice, and the specific objective of protecting the rights of detainees and those held in police custody. Charlotte also acts as a consultant on the issue of abuse against detainees and those in police custody for the Women’s Counseling and Information Center in Douala.

The Challenge

Charlotte has identified multiple forms of human rights violations in her community that have their roots in corruption, which are ingrained in many aspects of society.

The Innovation: To Rebuild the Walls of Justice

Charlotte’s project aimed to rebuild the walls of justice at the heart of her community. Her intention was to transform mindsets—the only guarantee for stability within the legal system, and in turn, for social peace. To this end, Charlotte provided legal aid to pre-trial detainees and raised awareness amongst inmates, prison guards, and high school students of their legal rights.

Charlotte and her team organized best practice exchange workshops with jurists and judiciary officials. These workshops highlighted the necessity of revising legal texts on prisons that are against the UN Convention Against Torture and have pushed the authorities to address the issue of human rights. In addition, Charlotte organized TV and radio shows, as well as prison visits. She intends to continue these activities and has managed to obtain the cooperation of a magistrate, whose identity must remain secret, to support her in her mission.