When legal stakeholders assembled to discuss pro bono services

At a recent gathering of judges and lawyers in Abuja, issues relating to building the culture of free legal services otherwise known as pro bono among others, came to the fore again, with specific reference to bridging the gap in access to rights, services and justice.
KEHINDE OSASONA reports
Its necessity The development of pro bono services, according to experts, has been slow over the years.
Also, current participation level, coupled with activities in the country had been reportedly low and somewhat discouraging.
Even though law firms in Nigeria are not required by law to engage in pro bono activities, the declaration by the Nigerian Bar Association however, states that law firm should commit an average of more than 20 hours per lawyer per annum to pro bono activities.
Consequently, today, leading law firms in the country have entered into partnership with the Nigerian government and nonprofit organizations to provide legal services to Nigerians.
..As promoter of justice, equity The Sign-On roundtable on ‘Building a culture of Pro bono organized recently was at the instance of the office of the SolicitorGeneral of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Open Society Initiative of West Africa (OSIWA) and the Justice Research Institute (JRI).
Speaking at the occasion, the SolicitorGeneral of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, said pro bono provides a platform for private citizens’ support in promoting the rule of law, access to justice for all Nigerians and in the administration of justice as a whole.
Explaining further, he said: “This initiative of providing a pro-bono Clearing House brings a unique opportunity which enhances harnessing technology as a way of minimising some of the challenges usually connected with rendering pro bono services.
The Clearing House portal is a platform that seeks to connect lawyers, Civil Society Organisation, government agencies and other relevant stakeholders to Nigerians and socially disadvantage in our society.
“In addition, members will also be offered physical and virtual trainings on pro bono, legal service delivery and other forms of support that are required during the process, which will serve to enhance their overall efficiency in the various fields of endeavour.
“The NBA has signed a memorandum of Understanding with the Justice Research Institute to recognise stakeholders’ trainings of this nature as part of the continuous development quota for legal practitioners and to recognise law firms that promote pro bono activities,” he added.
While reiterating on possible implementation of the initiative, he said, “The government, through the Legal Aid Council and other initiatives, is undoubtedly working hard so that effective administration of justice towards building a better and sustainable Nigeria comes into fruition.” Judge’s point of view Speaking in 2016 at a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of the Legal Aid Council (LAC) of Nigeria in Abuja, the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello, appealed to lawyers to take up pro bono cases in order to help indigent persons in the society.
Bello said, “there is community service among the duties of a public lawyer; this is covered in the handling of pro bono in furtherance of the mandate of the Nigerian Legal Aid Council.
This service is required to rescue indigent and down trodden members of the society; we welcome and encourage such service.
“The legal aid process started in the early 60s as an affair of a few private lawyers before the involvement of government.
Therefore, there should not be a problem with getting lawyers to engage in pro bono services to rescue indigent members of the society.
“We have decided to make a case to the Federal Government so that the organisation is given the support it requires.” He further posited that “lack of manpower was a major hindrance to efforts of the Council,” adding that “many people have been kept in prisons for ages in the remotest parts of Nigeria because LAC does not exist there.
“We are waiting for statistics from the prisons to articulate a document that we will present to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.” Toeing same path, Sharon Ikeazor was quoted as saying, “we don’t have enough lawyers taking up pro bono cases in Nigeria and the Legal Aid itself does not get enough funding from government in its fight for injustice; the most serious task is the decongestion of prisons.
“People cannot afford to pay their fines, so, many of those awaiting trial are convicted; may be their sentence would have been for six months but they are there for years.” Way forward On way forward, Ikeazor said, it’s by educating “our young lawyers to take up pro bono cases.
Only a few lawyers in today’s generation are passionate about social justice or are inclined to take up such cases.” Accessing LAC and human rights LAC, under the Federal Ministry of Justice, was set up in 1976 by the federal government to provide free legal assistance and advice to Nigerian citizens who could not afford the services of a private lawyer.
The Legal Aid Act 2011 states further that aid shall be granted only to people whose income does not exceed the national minimum wage.
The Council, by its provision, handles both relatively serious criminal cases such as murder, manslaughter, rape, stealing and certain civil cases which include; claims arising from breaches of any forms.
However, the right to legal assistance is enshrined in the Constitution.
In the word of the Director-General, Legal Aid Council, Mrs Joy Bob-Manuel, there are not enough lawyers to meet its increasing need for free legal services in the country.
Limitations According to her, the number of lawyers within the Council’s disposal was grossly inadequate to cover all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The Council’s seeming ineffectiveness like inadequate funding, lack of publicity and inadequate information on access to justice,” she further added.
Other limitations, according to her, include; delays in investigating crime by the police, prison congestion and delay in the administration of justice, which has been inhibiting the Council’s efforts at providing legal aid in respect to certain categories of persons, matters and the limited scope of eligibility for such aid.
It should be noted that cases requiring legal assistance vary and limited across the different states in Nigeria.
Challenges But, at every forum, stakeholders have always fingered key challenges like the judicial process by the courts, poor knowledge of the sacrifices of pro bono practitioners by officials of the lowers courts, lack of/or poor training of police and prosecutors at the lower courts and many others as inhibiting the progress of pro bono.
Nevertheless, majority, especially stakeholders and experts in the field believe that since there is desperate needs to increase access for indigent to legal assistance, lawyers who volunteer for pro bono work that falls outside of their particular practice areas, should also be supported in being consistent from time to time or when needed.
More importantly, law firms fully committed to broadening legal service in the country should be encouraged to make meaningful impact on the lives of the less privileged and the ignorant in the society.

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