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2019 J.L. & Soc. Pol'y 1 (2019)

handle is hein.journals/jlspy2019 and id is 1 raw text is: Journal of Law and Social Policy 1 Issue: 1, September 2019 Access to Justice through Legal Aid in Nigeria: An Exposition on some Salient Features of the Legal Aid Act 1. Akintunde Abidemi ADEBAYO LL.B (Hons.), B.L, LL.M, Ph.D, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, AdekunleAjasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Nigeria; Email: akintunde adebgyg d hooMcoMuk 2. Anthonia Omosefe UGOWE LL.B (Hons.), B.L, LL.M, Doctoral Candidate (University of Dundee, UK), Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, P.M.B 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria. Email: anthoniaugo@yahoo.com (or)ugowe.ao@unilorin.edu.ng. Abstract According to Black's Law Dictionary, justice is the fair and proper administration of laws. Similarly, access to justice is the ability to make use of the courts and other relevant institutions to efficiently protect and enforce rights. Access to justice is imperative in every society. People will access justice only if the right environment is created. In a bid to remove this major barrier in accessing justice, the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria was established in 1976. The concept of legal aid means the provision of free legal services to the indigent and underprivileged members of the society. Its importance cannot be overemphasized particularly considering the level of illiteracy and poverty which are considerably on the high side in Nigeria. Hence, in 2011, the Legal Aid Act 2011 was enacted. The birth of the Act repealed the old Act. This article analyses 3ethe provisions of both Acts with emphasis on the innovations of the new Act to promote access to justice and concludes with recommendations. With respect to the Council, it finds that there is need for better funding and engagement of more salaried lawyers in order to enable it carry out its functions as the Council is grappling with the challenge of underfunding and recruitment of more hands to work towards the achievement of its set objectives, among others. Key words: Access to Justice, Justice, Legal Aid Council, Indigents, pro bono.

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