The International Business School The Hague (IBSH)

Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee

Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee

Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, a licensed lawyer (barrister and solicitor) with about thirty years of teaching experience in higher education and an Associate Professor of Law at the International Business School The Hague in The Netherlands, holds a multidisciplinary PhD in law from Tilburg University (The Netherlands) and Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Huddersfield (United Kingdom). He is a former legal research national consultant to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the 1998 PCASED project that provided the juridical foundations for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 1998 Moratorium which culminated in a regional multilateral treaty: ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, their Ammunition and other Related Matters 2006. The legal and techno-legal innovations of Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee include the following: Devised the <.officiallaws) official public legal information generic top-level domain (gTLD) system for easy identification of the reliable versions of all laws published online worldwide, which may be referred to as the public legal information domain name system (LIDNS); Developed the system of nationally networked one-stop official public legal information websites (the NOPLIW system) for the optimal findability and management of online law databases; Invented the human rights-based public access-adequate huricompatisation model of ascertainment of indigenous customary law (huricompatisation); Formulated the new human rights-advocacy approach (NHRAA) that consists of a set of ten onerous criteria for the formal universal recognition of new human rights and to prevent human rights inflation; and Pioneered the global advocacy of the formal universal recognition of the right of free access to public legal information as a new substantive or stand-alone human right in 2017. He is the founder and director of the free Global Law Discussion Group (Helping Lawyers and Citizens to Know the Law) on Facebook which has more than 124,000 members from more than 100 countries and the Global Lawyers Network and Discussion Group (for Lawyers Only) also on Facebook that has more than 7,000 members.

Position

Associate Professor of Law

Education

Multidisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in international human rights law, legal information technology, indigenous customary law and indigenous rights
Master of Laws (LLM)
Barrister-at-Law (BL) Postgraduate Professional Legal Practice Certificate
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
Higher National Diploma (HND) in Town Planning (Urban and Regional Planning)

Education Details:

  • Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands (2015–2019)

Multidisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in international human rights law, legal information technology, indigenous customary law and indigenous rights (20 December 2019)

  • Thesis title: The Human Right of Free Access to Public Legal Information: Proposals for its Universal Recognition and for Adequate Public Access
  • Supervisors: Emeritus Prof. dr. Ernst M. H. Hirsch Ballin; Prof. dr. Sofia Ranchordás
  • Experts that assisted my supervisors to review the specialised, technical aspects of my multidisciplinary PhD thesis: Dr. Marc van Opijnen (computer science and legal informatics), Adviser Legal Informatics at The Netherlands Publications Office, The Hague; Prof. dr. Panos Merkouris (customary international law), University of Groningen
  • University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, England, United Kingdom (2005–2006)

Master of Laws (LLM)

  • Nigerian Law School, Lagos, Nigeria | 1989–1990

Barrister-at-Law (BL) Postgraduate Professional Legal Practice Certificate

  • Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria (formerly Rivers State University of Science and Technology) (1986–1989)

Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

  • Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria (formerly Rivers State University of Science and Technology) (1980–1984)

Higher National Diploma (HND) in Town Planning (Urban and Regional Planning)

Selected Teaching and Academic Administration Experience

International Business School The Hague, Rijswijk, The Netherlands (current job from 12 October 2023)

Associate Professor of Law

  • Teaching International Business Law (Bachelor of Business Studies)
  • Teaching International Trade and Contract Law (Master of Business Administration)

Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria (Formerly Port Harcourt Polytechnic) | 1993–31 December 2022

Chief Lecturer of Law (Associate Professor equivalent)

  • Taught (and graded examinations) in Nigerian Legal System, Commercial (Business) Law, Company Law, and General Principles of law with passion for the success of every student, including using success motivation talks (e.g. with specific reference to the phenomenal success of Dr. Ben Carson who was once the worst student in his class).
  • Developed new curricula for Commercial (Business) Law and Nigerian Legal System to make them more comprehensive and to enhance their contemporary relevance to the students.
  • Organised law seminar; coordinated peer-review, editing, and publication of academic law journal.
  • Head of the Law Department (2012–2014).
  • Subject Head of the Law Programme (1996–2001).
  • Chair or member of several committees and panels.

Selected Legal Research, Consultancy, and Academic Publishing Experience

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | 1998

Capacity Development for Social Reconciliation (Special Service Agreement Contract No. 98/C0041)

Nigerian National Consultant (Legal Research)

  • Completed the consultancy on the analysis of the legislation on small arms (guns) control in Nigeria. The Project analysed the legislation on arms control in Mali, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Ghana with a view to assessing the juridical foundations of the proposed West Africa Moratorium on Small Arms.

Government of Rivers State of Nigeria | 1994–1997

Awarded legal research consultancy by the Government of Rivers State of Nigeria based on my book, Laws of Rivers State: A Comprehensive Guide Plus Courts in Rivers State (1994), to carry out research for the compilation of all the enacted laws (legislation) of the State.

  • Carried out the research and submitted my compilation on the dynamic developments in the laws of Rivers State from the creation of the State in 1967 to 1997, noting the extant laws that were still in force, their amendments, and their repeals (legislative, consequential, and by effluxion of time that caused them to be spent or obsolete).

Koinonia Legal Research and Book Publishing, Tilburg, The Netherlands | 2020–2021

Chief Executive

  • Legal research and academic publishing of peer-reviewed books in the fields of international human rights law; legal information technology; indigenous customary law and indigenous rights.

Worldwide Business Resources, Luton, England, United Kingdom | 2008–2010

Chief Executive

  • Designed and managed commercial websites for clients.
  • Engaged in affiliate marketing partnership business.
  • Engaged in book publishing (legal non-fiction genre).

Information Technology Skills

  • Computer literacy: proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher); Adobe PDF;
  • Professional book text formatting and book cover design;
  • Advanced graphics with CorelDraw and other graphics software;
  • Lecture and speech presentations;
  • Professional use of social media; and
  • Website design and management, and Search engine optimisation (SEO).

Relevant Work Skills and Research Skills

  • Proficiency in written and spoken English language (the only language of my entire education and work).
  • Scientific integrity and ethics, with advanced modern legal research skills for high standards of legal research and publication in reputed international academic journals.
  • Ability to teach and supervise undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) and postgraduate (master’s and doctoral degrees) students and to properly grade their exams and research projects, dissertations, and theses.
  • Ability to engage in any required collaboration with my colleagues, other people, and institutions.
  • Ability to adjust quickly to new settings and environments and interact properly with people from different cultures—enhanced by my experience of living, working, and schooling in three countries (Nigeria, United Kingdom, and The Netherlands).
  • Critical and creative thinking, innovation, analytical, good planning and organising skills, and result oriented.
  • Ability to work autonomously as well as in a team, good interpersonal skills, and effective communication.

Activities and Interests

  • Table tennis
  • Football (soccer)
  • Voluntary professional legal service to promote free global legal knowledge and access to law through social media:
  • Global Law Discussion Group (Helping Lawyers and Citizens to Know the Law) on Facebook which has more than 124,000 members from more than 100 countries
  • Global Lawyers Network and Discussion Group (for Lawyers Only) that has more than 7,000 members
  • Writing and legal blogging on my personal professional websites to promote legal knowledge, which include the following:
  • Human Right of Free Access to Public Legal Information Advocacy
  • Koinonia Legal Research and Book Publishing
  • Huricompatisation Ascertainment of Indigenous Customary Law and Indigenous Rights Advocacy
  • Koinonia Technocratic Academic and Business Solutions
  • Nigerian Lawyers Directory

Professional and Civic Affiliations

  • Member, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA): a licensed barrister and solicitor (12 December 1990 – present).
  • Fellow, Society for Advanced Legal Studies (SALS), Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of the University of London, United Kingdom (20 September 2018 – present).
  • Member, International Law Association (ILA), United Kingdom (22 November 2022 – present).
  • Member, American Indigenous Research Association (AIRA), United States (31 January 2020 – present)
  • Member, Internet Society (ISOC), United States (25 February 2006 – present).
  • Member, Amnesty International (28 April 2019 – present).
  • Member, Cambridge University Press Academic Panel, United Kingdom (27 February 2020 – present).
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Latest Law Conference

  • 2nd Law Research Conference: Artificial Intelligence and the Law, 7 December 2023, Faculty of Law, Afe Babalola University, Nigeria (virtual international conference)

Selected Academic Publications

Peer-reviewed Articles

  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, “The Right of Public Access to Legal Information: A Proposal for its Universal Recognition as a Human Right” (2017) 18(6) German Law Journal 1429–1496 (68 pages).
  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, “Towards Enhanced Public Access to Legal Information: A Proposal for Official Networked One-Stop Legal Information Websites” (2017) 8(3) European Journal of Law and Technology 1–38 (38 pages)
  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, “Enhancing Public Access to Legal Information: A Proposal for a New Official Legal Information Generic Top-Level Domain” (2017) 23(2) European Journal of Current Legal Issues (unnumbered HTML webpages)
  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee and IC Enyindah, “The Importance of the Computer to Modern Legal Research” (2010) 1(1) School of Humanities and Social Sciences Law Journal 1–28 (available only in print).
  • IC Enyindah and Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, “Liability and Compensation for Environmental Damage in the Petroleum Industry: Implications for Sustainable Development in Nigeria” (2010) 1(1) School of Humanities and Social Sciences Law Journal 73–100 (available only in print).

Books

  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria: An Encyclopaedic Guide (Worldwide Business Resources 2010).
  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, Nigerian Legal System: A Fundamental Approach, Volume 2 (Ebenezer Printing & Publishing House 2002).
  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, Nigerian Legal System: A Fundamental Approach, Volume 1 (Ebenezer Printing & Publishing House 2001).
  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, Laws of Rivers State: A Comprehensive Guide Plus Courts in Rivers State (Ebenezer Law Research Company 1994.

Legal Research Consultancy Papers and Reports

  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, “Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria Statute Book Update: A Critical Review and Recommendations” (Research Report submitted to the Rivers State Government Committee on the Review of the Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 2011).
  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, “A Critical Review of the Nigerian Legal System and Laws Relating to the Business Environment, Focusing on the Niger Delta Region” (Commissioned Paper submitted to the Niger Delta Environmental Survey, 1999).
  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, “Capacity Development for Social Reconciliation Project RAF/97/025: National Report on Legislation on Small Arms in Nigeria” (Legal Research Consultancy Report submitted to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 1998).
  • Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, Legal Research Consultancy on the State of the Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria from the Creation of the State in 1967 Submitted to the Rivers State Government (1995).

Upcoming Books

Book Series: The Human Right of Free Access to Public Legal Information Book Series

Book series description: The book series consists of four books (volumes) that contain twenty-two academic article-style independent but interconnected chapters of original, multidisciplinary, law-reform, and policy-relevant research on free local, regional, national, and global access to all formats (physical print and electronic) of all categories of public legal information (i.e. all laws and law-related government-held public documents which include legislation, court judgments, policy documents, regional and international treaties, and indigenous customary law that is usually unwritten or oral and therefore inherently inaccessible).

  • Book (Volume 1)

Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, Developments in Human Rights Law and the New Human Right of Free Access to Public Legal Information: The Proposed United Nations Convention (upcoming) — ISBN 9789083108520 (eBook) 9789083108506 (paperback)

  • Chapter 1: Key Terminology, Scope and Multi-disciplinary Perspectives of Access to Public Legal Information
  • Chapter 2: Historical Overview of the Provision of Access to Public Legal Information
  • Chapter 3: A Critical Analysis of the Persistent Global Problem of Inadequate Access to Public Legal Information and its Root Cause
  • Chapter 4: The Fundamental Theoretical Underpinnings of the Right of Free Access to Public Legal Information
  • Chapter 5: The Existence of the Right of Free Access to Public Legal Information as a Legal Right
  • Chapter 6: A Review of the Literature on the Existing Status of the Right of Free Access to Public Legal Information as a Human Right
  • Chapter 7: The New Human Rights-Advocacy Approach and the Criteria for the Formal Universal Recognition of New Human Rights
  • Chapter 8: The Pioneering Proposal for the Universal Recognition of the Right of Free Access to Public Legal Information as a Substantive Human Right
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  • Book (Volume 2)

Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, The New Human Rights-Based Huricompatisation Model of Ascertainment of Indigenous Customary Law: Strategies for Adequate Local and Global Public Access (upcoming) — ISBN 9789083108568 (eBook) 9789083108544 (paperback)

  • Chapter 9: The Meaning and Forms of Indigenous Customary Law
  • Chapter 10: The Right of Public Access to Indigenous Customary Law and the Concept of Ascertainment
  • Chapter 11: The Human Rights-Based Approach as a Conceptual Framework and a Universal Mechanism for the Management of Social Projects
  • Chapter 12: Huricompatisation as the New Human Rights-Based and Public Access-Adequate Model of Ascertainment of Indigenous Customary Law
  • Chapter 13: The Legal Framework for the Implementation of the New Huricompatisation Model of Ascertainment of Indigenous Customary Law Projects
  • Book (Volume 3)

Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, Innovative Technological Mechanisms for Adequate Web-Based Access to National and Global Public Legal Information (upcoming) — ISBN 9789083108513 (eBook) 9789083108582 (paperback)

  • Chapter 14: Historical Overview of the Provision of Web-Based Access to Public Legal Information
  • Chapter 15: The Indispensability of Web-Based Global Access to Official Public Legal Information and Matters Arising from the Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic Lockdown
  • Chapter 16: The Proposal for a New Official Public Legal Information Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) for Easy Identification of the Reliable Versions of the Laws Published Online
  • Chapter 17: The Proposal for Nationally Net-worked One-Stop Official Public Legal Information Websites for the Optimal Findability and Management of Online Law Databases
  • Book (Volume 4)

Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, A Model Empirical Study of the State of Free Access to Nigerian Public Legal Information (upcoming) — ISBN 9789083108551 (eBook) 9789083108537 (paperback)

  • Chapter 18: Historical Overview of the Publishing of Laws in Nigeria
  • Chapter 19: The State of Free Access to Nigerian Legislation
  • Chapter 20: The State of Free Access to Nigerian Judicial Decisions
  • Chapter 21: The State of Public Access to Nigerian Indigenous Customary Law

Chapter 22: A Critical Assessment of the Legal Framework for Free Access to Nigerian Public Legal Information