NAN-H-112
Council
By Edith Nwapi
Abuja, Nov. 22, 2016 (NAN) The Legal Aid Council (LAC), Nigeria has launched a “National Legal Strategy” and “Guidance Manual for Enhancing Stakeholders Engagement in Pro Bono Services in Nigeria” to mark its 40th anniversary.
Mrs Joy Bob-Manuel, the Director General of LAC Nigeria said that the articulation of the strategy and manual was the most outstanding success recorded by the council.
She also said that LAC owed its success to partnerships with international development agencies, especially those that offered technical support through capacity building and trainings.
“In implementing justice sector reform to enthrone international best practice, a more coordinated access to justice and the provision of legal aid to indigent of Nigerians, the most outstanding interventions we had were from partnerships with development agencies.
“These partners assisted the Council to take ownership of the expanded scope of its mandate as stipulated in the LAC Act, 2011.”
Bob-Manuel explained that the mandate necessitated a restructuring of the council itself and with technical support from its partners, was able to acquire the required skills to handle its mandate.
She also said that in 2013, LAC and Justice for All (J4A), in conjunction with Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), restructured in order to coordinate and expand legal aid services in Nigeria.
“The council did not have the funding or human capacity to meet the needs of indigent Nigerians; however, our partners came to the rescue.
“These partners initiated a clearing house system whereby the council collaborates with private law practitioners to expand legal aid services.
“The partnership resulted in the publication of the Nigeria Legal Aid Service Pro Bono Providers Directory, 2015,” she said.
Bob-Manuel listed the partners to include the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), PRAWA and the World Bank.
She explained that UNODC and PRAWA provided LAC with technical support and funding for capacity building in areas such as paralegal and ICT trainings’
“For its part, the World Bank supported the council with capacity building to improve skills, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, paralegal and non-legal training for staff, among other things,” Bob-Manuel said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the idea of “Legal Aid” in the country was initiated by the late Mr Chimezie Ikeazor (SAN) in his book entitled “Legal Aid for the Poor in Nigeria” in 1961.
NAN also reports that in 1974, the Nigeria Legal Aid Association was formed with Ikeazor as one of the founding fathers which this led to the crusade for legal aid provision in the country’s law.
On Nov. 10, 1976, the then Head of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo promulgated the Legal Aid Decree No. 56 of 1976, which formally introduced the legal aid scheme into Nigerian law.
NAN also reports that one of the mandates of the council is to provide free legal services (pro bono) to poor and indigent Nigerians. (NAN)
NEO/HAS/YAZ
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Edited By Hajia Sani/Yusuf Zango