NAN-H-60
Partnership
By Edith Nwapi/Magdalene Ukuedojor
Abuja, July 17, 2017 (NAN) The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Bar Association to promote and register pro bono cases across the country.
The partnership was actualised at a National Stakeholders Consultative Workshop on Pro Bono Legal Services and Paralegalism in Nigeria, held in Abuja.
NBA President, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), pledged his support for pro bono services, noting that it would greatly decongest prisons and help reform the judicial system.
Cue in audio (Mahmoud)
“We are very delighted at this initiative to partner with the Legal Aid Council to deliver on pro bono legal services across the country
“Reform of the justice sector in this country is a very critical project and the Nigerian Bar Association is deeply concerned and deeply worried about the state of the justice sector.
“But one area that we are looking at also very seriously is some of the dysfunctionality in the criminal justice system and when you go to our prisons the situation is really appalling.
“Not only in terms of the population of the prisons but also when you realise the population and you see the number of detainees that are awaiting trial; all this is a clear manifestation of the dysfunctionality of the system.
“This partnership cannot have come at a better time and I will like to thank the Legal Aid Council for spearheading this and deploying all resources and capabilities in this.
“I will like to assure you that the bar association is going to work very hard to actualise the objectives of this programme.
“We are going to strengthen our capacity within our branches to be able to deliver pro bono services.
“Part of the criteria now for considering candidates for the rank of Senior Advocates is to look at the contributions they are making directly and indirectly in the areas of promoting pro bono legal services.’’
Cue out audio
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that pro bono services are those that are done or undertaken for the public good without any payment or compensation
Mrs Joy Bob-Manuel, Director General, Legal Aid Council noted that the Nigeria Bar had numerous continuing legal education programmes to educate its members on the virtues of offering pro bono services.
Bob-Manuel urged lawyers to utilise these platforms to improve their passion to enforce human rights under the rule of law.
“The NBA must as a matter of national importance, reduce the gaps in giving free legal representation by taking giant leaps towards cooperating with the Legal Aid Council to have a National Legal Aid Scheme.
“We want the bar to initiate urgent polices to birth this scheme by possibly making it compulsory for all lawyers to offer pro bono services and further do this by registering the cases in the council.’’
The two organisations also launched `Guidance Manual for Enhancing Stakeholders’ Partnership on Pro Bono Legal Services in Nigeria’ and `National Legal Aid Strategy Nigeria 2017-2022’. (NAN)
NEO/MUK/DOR/YEE
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Edited by Nyisom Dore/Emmanuel Yashim