Social Media and the Dual Role of Lawyers from Supporting Human Rights to Activism in the 2019 Algerian Hirak
This thesis explores the dual role of Algerian lawyers, both as legal professionals and political activists, during the 2019 Hirak movement. It pays particular attention to their strategic use of social media. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, the study combines qualitative semi-structured interviews and content analysis with quantitative survey data, engaging twenty-one lawyers from various Algerian regions. The research is grounded in a multi-theoretical framework encompassing Critical Internet Theory, Social Movement Theory, Fanon’s decolonial lens, Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, Marxist analysis, Critical Legal Studies, and Legal Mobilisation Theory. The study investigates how digital tools shape legal advocacy, political expression and professional identity in a repressive political context, by means of this framework. The findings reveal that social media platforms, especially Facebook and WhatsApp, served as vital instruments for legal coordination, rights-based discourse, and public engagement, allowing lawyers to challenge state narratives and disseminate legal knowledge. These digital practices blurred the boundaries between traditional legal professionalism and activism, as lawyers evolved from fulfilling professional duties to embracing ideological and moral missions grounded in historical resistance and cultural identity. Participants reported escalating government repression, including censorship, surveillance, and arrests, underscoring the risks inherent in digital legal activism. The study also highlights regional and generational diversity among lawyers, illustrating how local histories and familial legacies informed their commitment to justice and human rights. While social media has empowered legal mobilisation, it also exposed lawyers to ethical dilemmas, professional tensions and systemic surveillance. This research contributes to current understandings of the intersection between law, digital media and social movements. It offers insights into how legal professionals can act as agents of change under government control. It further provides practical and theoretical recommendations for integrating digital advocacy into legal education, strengthening protections for lawyer-activists, and supporting civil society in politically constrained environments. Ultimately, the thesis offers a critical re-evaluation of the legal profession’s role in resisting political oppression, demonstrating how social media has redefined both the possibilities and perils of legal activism in the digital age.
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