Image: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), from the source report. Source: https://nannews.ng/decongestion/
Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi has urged the new Governing Board of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria to expand free legal representation and help reduce the number of awaiting-trial inmates.
At the board’s inauguration, NAN reported that the minister described access to justice as a national-security imperative. He asked the board to strengthen the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme and Court Duty Solicitors Scheme so that suspects can obtain legal assistance early in the arrest and prosecution process.
Fagbemi also pointed to detention monitoring, implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, stronger pro bono networks, legal technology, and coordination among the Council, courts, law-enforcement agencies, and civil society.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria.
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