Alumni profile - Mercy Tochukwu Christopher

Mercy Tochukwu Christopher, LLM Human Rights, 2021

Tell us a little bit about your life before Edinburgh Law School

I grew up in a small village in Kaduna, Nigeria where I lived with my family and attended boarding school.  I remember being very smart in school, always coming top of my class and at some point, going a full year on scholarship.  This didn’t mean so much to me then but thinking back now, I feel very proud and happy of who I was as a child.  I didn’t know so much about the possibilities out there for most of my life.  My dad used to talk about traveling abroad to school on a scholarship but that was so unfamiliar to me that I couldn’t make sense of it or picture it at the time.  I am not sure my dad also knew what he was talking about.  He didn’t get the chance to receive a formal education and so also my mum.  But their constant support and pride in me made me feel so empowered that I thought I could do anything.

I was interested in government during my secondary school because of the security situation in Kaduna, where I grew up.  I believed that law held the answers to everything that was wrong with Nigeria and decided to be a lawyer.  I did not know much about law or any other career really at the time.  I just knew I wanted to make my society better and law was the only way I thought possible.

During my law degree, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, I found myself drawn towards courses in human rights.  My childhood made it easy for me to relate with the plight of many, and every inhumane act I witnessed strengthened my resolution to enthrone justice.  I took to activism and wrote creative nonfiction that projected and advocated for the rights of the vulnerable population, especially women and children.  I also participated in essay competitions which helped me earn money to pay my school fees.

Upon graduation, I worked at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Port Harcourt where I handled criminal cases that mostly involved children who were victims of crimes and those caught up in the justice system.  During this period, I witnessed the environmental and social challenges that communities struggled with due to business operations and found myself drawn to human rights.  I volunteered with Social Development Integrated Centre (SDIC) - an NGO advocating for the human rights of workers and communities impacted by the activities of oil corporations in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and later took on a role as a project officer with SDIC training volunteers and locals on human rights and helping build the resilience of communities.

What did you study at Edinburgh Law School and why did you choose the programme?

I studied LLM Human Rights at the University of Edinburgh.  At the time of my application to the University of Edinburgh, I found the content of the modules very endearing and admired the work most of the professors were doing.  The deciding factor however was the placement opportunity that was attached to the programme and the scholarship I gained from the MasterCard Foundation to study at the University.  I loved the fact that the programme offered me the opportunity to put the knowledge and skills I gained into practice working directly with a human rights organisation during my dissertation.

What do you think is unique to the Edinburgh Law School experience and what are some of your favourite memories?

I think the focus on excellence and the fact that the Law school incorporates international debates that engages with the history, experiences and scholarly works from the Global South is unique to the Edinburgh Law School.  I will assume that most school prides itself in excellence but from my experience at the University of Edinburgh, I found myself going through that refining process where the best of myself was nurtured to life.  I had to, for the first time, analyse all I had known about Africa and the rest of the world and the narratives about Africa and its development from a critical and informed position.  The programme grooms you into a person who is comfortable questioning status quo and is very critical about things especially international affairs.  This nurturing process will always stand out as my favourite memories of the University of Edinburgh.

I deeply enjoyed the landscape of Edinburgh, its beauty and all the fun memories I made, but as an international student, studying in a different system comes with its challenges.  When you live in a ‘developed country’ but come from a background, in my case, a country that is deemed ‘underdeveloped’ or ‘developing’, you tend to see yourself, even without knowing it, as embodying that ‘under-developed’ narrative.  You question yourself, everything you know and everything about you.  For me, I felt so overwhelmed by how in-depth and intense the programme was. I remember being lost my first class in the International Law class not knowing what was being discussed and constantly feeling like I was playing catch up.

The University’s established system of support and how this helped me succeed became my favourite memories of Edinburgh.  My professors had a way encouraging participation during course discussions that I found very helpful.  For me, it made so much of a difference that my professors encouraged me to share my thoughts and also nurtured an atmosphere where it felt safe to do so.  That built my confidence in a way that transformed my life.  It empowered me and helped me build the way I articulate things and made me very comfortable expressing my thoughts.  Of all things, this transformation to being someone confident in her abilities will always be my best memories of the University.

What have you been up to since graduating?

I have been working as a Research and Events Intern with Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights) since finishing my dissertation.  I am very keen on working within the business and human rights field since my dissertation which gave me an opportunity to work with the University of Edinburgh Department of Social Responsibility and Sustainability.  I researched on the nexus between climate change and modern slavery, focusing particularly on the ICT/renewable sector and will be starting a new role as a Research Assistant with the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre looking at the implication of the transition to renewable energy on human rights.  I am hoping to base my career within this field and generally the impact of business operations on the human rights of workers and communities going forward.

What advice would you give current Edinburgh Law School students?

You can never go wrong engaging in class discussions. The benefits go beyond class.

Take advantage of office hours and discuss your concerns with your professors.

Say nice things to other students.  When you think someone made a great point in class, tell them that. It takes a lot of courage for most people to share their thoughts.

Find out more about the LLM in Human Rights programme