AGBAJE FATIMAH ADESOLA FROM UNILORIN LAW CLINIC: REFLEECTION



INTRODUCTION
The project is sponsored by the NETWORK OF UNIVERSITY LEGAL AID INSTITUTIONS (NULAI) together with the OPEN SOCIETY INNOVATIVE OF WEST AFRICA (OSIWA) to facilitate access to justice to PRISON PRE-TRIAL DETAINEES.
The project is to be done within the span of one year and the target of the law clinic is towards 50 detainees with less serious offences and who do not have legal representation across the OKE-KURA and MANDALA
 EXPERIENCE
A lot has been experienced, but one significant experience I got in the course of this project happened on a particular visitation to oke-kura prison. On that day, rain fell in the early hours of the day and on getting to the prison, we were not allowed to enter not to talk of interviewing the detainees. The prison official that attended to us made a statement, he said "we treat this people like salt". So the simple lesson I learnt from this is that despite our readiness and preparation physically and mentally, the simple fact that it rained earlier that day could hinder our entry to the prison and consequently disallow us from doing what we went to do.
MY REFLECTIONS
During the course of this project, I have learnt a lot of things among which are:
·         How to conduct an interview generally
·         And specifically, the necessary information required while interviewing a detainee
·         I have also learnt how to write summary of cases and report writing.

HOW I FEEL BEING PART OF THE PROJECT
Being part of this project is something that I am glad about simply because it has exposed me to a lot of things that even some of my classmates would have no idea of, both practically and administrative-wise in this legal field.

HOW THE EXPERIENCE CHANGED MY VIEW
The experiences I got from being part of this project has changed my perspective in different ways, one of this is that I have been made to understand that apart from the criminal justice system, there are several other factors affecting criminal trial in Nigeria
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
This kind of project, because of its purpose and objective should be done from time to time considering the rate at which people are accused, arrested and arraigned before the court.

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