Funke Adeoye, the founder and executive director of the Hope Behind Bars Africa, a nonprofit helping indigent inmates get access to justice and advocating justice sector reforms, has been awarded the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award by the International Bar Association (IBA).
She received the award on Thursday at the IBA’s Annual Conference held in Toronto, Canada.
The award recognises young lawyers aged 35 and below around the world with exceptional records of professional contributions to the rule of law, service to humanity and ethical excellence.
Adeoye founded the organisation aged just 26. Profiling the organisation back in 2023, FIJ reported that within its first five years, it had rescued 416 unjustly detained innocent inmates from various prisons through the provision of legal pro bono services.
“Funke was selected from a global pool of outstanding nominees for her pioneering work at the intersection of access to justice, human rights, and legal technology,” according to a statement signed by Ogechi Ogwuma, a communications officer for the organisation.
“Through Hope Behind Bars Africa, an organisation she founded at age 26, she has led innovative justice interventions that provide quality legal support to wrongfully incarcerated individuals, promote criminal justice reforms, and strengthen civic engagement.
“Her efforts have facilitated access to justice and the rehabilitation of thousands of inmates while advancing structural reforms that make the justice system more accessible across Nigeria.”
Adeoye dedicated the award to young lawyers from Africa and human rights workers upholding the rule of law in challenging environments.
“This recognition is not just about me. It represents every young lawyer who believes that in spite of the state of our world, the law still remains a critical tool for social engineering and transformation,” she said.
“It reaffirms that the world is watching and that ethical, innovative, and people-centred lawyering matters.”
Adeoye graduated from the University of Benin in 2012 with an LLB and she was called to the Nigerian Bar the following year.
She also earned an MSc in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford as a Commonwealth Scholar.
“A vocal advocate for reimagining justice delivery through innovation and inclusion, Funke continues to advance reforms that make justice systems more accessible, equitable, and technology-driven,” Ogwuma added.
“This international recognition marks a significant milestone not only for her but also for Africa’s growing community of reform-driven lawyers who are redefining legal practice as a force for social good.”
This latest award adds to the list of such other coveted awards and recognitions Adeoye has earned over the years. She was among the 18 individuals selected for the Ashoka Fellowship in 2024.
