2020 showed us a lot about the world in which we live. As far as we’ve come in terms of equality, we saw last year that we still have a long way to go.
So, what do you do if someone violates your human rights? How do you get justice? How do you recover? We’ll delve into these questions in this brief article.
What’s a human rights violation?
There are over 7 billion people on the earth, and according to the United Nations, every single one of us has certain rights. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all human beings are born free and equal in rights and dignity. Everyone has the right to safety and freedom from persecution and safety.
The first seven articles of the UN’s human rights declaration deal with our rights to be free and recognized as a human before the law, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or identity. A human rights violation constitutes any crime against you that violates your rights as a human being.
Who should you turn to first?
If you feel like a person or organization has violated your rights, your first move should be to find an attorney to help you fight your case. Human and civil rights cases are often an uphill battle for the victim, so you need a lawyer with years of experience handling cases like yours and a reputation for compassion for their clients and tenacity on their behalf.
Malliha Wilson, founder and senior counsel of Nava Wilson LLP, has it in her blood to fight for the rights of others. Her grandfather S. J. V. Chelvanayakam was a lawyer, civil rights leader, and member of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, a group fighting for the rights of the Tamils of Sri Lanka.
Malliha’s grandfather instilled in her the importance of fighting for what’s right rather than taking the easy route. That’s why she left her position as a special legal advisor at the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario to start her own law firm concentrating on human and civil rights and labour law. If you’re fighting to get justice for your human and civil rights, you’ll be lucky to have a lawyer as talented and committed to their clients as Malliha.
How do you draw attention to your case?
The first thing your lawyer will do is examine the facts of your case to see if it qualifies as a violation of your civil rights. Even if your case doesn’t meet the criteria for a civil rights violation, it doesn’t mean you don’t have a case. However, it changes the process. If your lawyer determines that you do indeed have a civil rights complaint, they’ll put your complaint in writing and submit it to the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
Your attorney might also advise you to seek therapy to deal with any trauma from your situation. You can find great psychologists in your area by Googling “therapy near me,” but your lawyer will probably be able to suggest the best therapists in the area for people who’ve endured what you have.
It’s a shame that we still have to worry about human rights violations in this day and age. The good news is that we have people like Malliha of Nava Wilson LLP fighting to even the playing field for those who are the most overlooked in society.
If you feel that someone or a group of people have violated your inalienable rights as a human being, it’s critical to act fast. Your first step should be to find an attorney who’s handled complex litigation in notable cases that are similar to yours. From there, your legal counselor will go to work to make sure your case gets the attention it needs and the justice it deserves. From there, you can focus on your mental health and getting back to your normal life.