LEGAL AID AND JUSTICE EFFICIENCY IN NIGERIA: A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF THE NIGERIAN LEGAL AID COUNCIL

Abstract

Objectives: Various Nigerian constitutions have guaranteed citizens' right to access to justice over time. When taken literally, access to justice refers to a person's ability to go to a court of law to air his grievances against another person or the government. Access to justice encompasses more than just access to a court of law; it also includes citizens' equitable access to political order and available resources in a particular community. Despite the constitution's provision for citizens' access to justice, a number of factors conspire to prevent this from happening in Nigeria. The Legal aid council is a body responsible for guaranteeing access to justice and quick dispensation of justice especially for the poor and other indigent citizens. The objective of this paper is to review the impacts of the legal aid council on access to justice in Nigeria. The paper commenced with reviewing the relevant key terms. The paper adopted a doctrinal research method. It was revealed among others that inequality in the distribution of the nation’s wealth coupled with the poor structure of the legal aid council and other justice administration agencies over the years contributed to delays in access to justice in Nigeria. It was based on the foregoing that recommendations were made