KIULJ Volume. 4, Issue 1 (2022)

  1. Home
  2. Volume. 4, Issue 1

Contributor(s)

Abubakar Shehu Ahmad Tijani, Abdulsalam Lukman Oladele (Ph.D) & Afolabi Mutiat Abisola
 

Keywords

Legal Aid Access Court Justice Human rights
 

Download Full-text (PDF)

... Download File [ 0.62 MB ]
 
Go Back

Legal aid services in Nigeria and united states of America: an epileptic justice system

Abstract: Equal and efficient access to justice system is lacking among the citizens of Nigeria and United States of America due to economic problems, lack of appropriate mechanisms and avenues that could guarantee the right of access to court and access to justice and inadequate legal aid services. Therefore, there is need to eradicate or, at least, reduce the barriers militating against adequate opportunity to access courts and justice by the low-income persons. This paper seeks to examine the concept and effects of legal aid services in Nigeria and United States of America as it affects the right of access to court and right of access to justice of the citizens of the two countries under review. The paper adopted doctrinal approach which entails library – based analysis of the content of both the primary and secondary sources of information. The primary sources in this regard include the various international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 1985, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Legal Services Corporation Act of 1974, the European Convention on Human Rights as well as national legislations such as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), and the Constitution of the United States of America, Legal Aid Act, Cap L9, L.F.N; 2011and case laws. The secondary sources on the other hand are textbooks, journal articles, law reports, newspapers and internet materials. The paper found that despite the provisions of the Laws mentioned above, viz-a-viz the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the Constitution of the United States of America 2007 and the European Convention on Human Rights, some problems are impeding the actual implementation of adequate legal aid services to the prospective beneficiaries in Nigeria and United States of America. This paper concluded that for people to enjoy effective and efficient access to court and access to justice through legal aid services, the government should establish a number of mechanisms and avenues that would guarantee the right to access to court and access to justice through legal aid services in civil and criminal cases alike to everybody, irrespective of their financial positions. This will further activate proper dispensation of substantial justice to all citizens on equal basis without any form of discrimination or bias.
 
 
 

Kampala International University Law Journal (KIULJ), ISSN: 2519-9501, 2025 | All Articles