Legal Aid & Rights Defense Fund
When the law is weaponized against you, having someone stand beside you in that courtroom — or that police station — changes everything. We ensure no one faces injustice alone.
The Threat Is Real and Ongoing
In Ghana, existing laws and public sentiment create an environment where LGBTQ+ people can be arrested, detained, and prosecuted for simply existing. But beyond the courts, there is a wider system of legal abuse, extortion by police officers, blackmail by former partners, landlords using eviction threats to demand silence, and employers terminating without cause.
Most people in this situation cannot afford a lawyer. Many don't know what rights they have. And those who do often fear that seeking legal help will expose them further. The result is a community trapped in silence, absorbing injustice because the alternative feels more dangerous.
We are working to change that equation, one case at a time.
"I spent three nights in a cell. No charge, no explanation. When ENG's legal team arrived, I was released within hours. They knew the law better than the officers holding me."
How We Respond
Our legal program operates on two levels: immediate crisis response and long-term rights education. When someone is arrested, detained, or threatened, we mobilize fast. When communities lack knowledge of their protections, we bring the workshops to them.
- Emergency legal response — on-call attorneys activated within hours of an arrest
- Bail and legal fee coverage for those who cannot afford representation
- Full case management from arrest through resolution
- Know-Your-Rights workshops delivered across multiple regions
- Documentation of abuses for national and international advocacy reporting
- Partnerships with pro-bono lawyers and human rights legal networks
- Support navigating workplace discrimination and wrongful termination
Why Funding This Matters
A single wrongful detention case can cost between $150 and $500 to resolve, fees that most of our clients simply do not have. Without this fund, people remain in cells. Blackmailers succeed. Employers go unchallenged. And the message sent to the entire community is: your rights don't count.
Every case we take on sends the opposite message: you are protected, you have allies, and the law, properly applied is on your side.
What Your Support Covers
The Goal
We are raising $20,000 to retain additional human rights attorneys, fund emergency interventions for at least 30 cases over the next year, and deliver Know-Your-Rights education to 500+ individuals across five regions in Ghana. This is justice at scale, practical, direct, and life-changing.
Stand With Someone Facing Injustice
Your donation puts a lawyer beside someone who would otherwise face the system alone. It funds the call that gets someone out of a cell. It tells an entire community: your rights matter, and we will fight for them.
Donate to Legal Aid