My
experience as a project participant in the NULAI /OSIWA project is very
educative and challenging. The project started with a workshop which the clinic
manager and two other clinicians being the facilitators, it was an educative work
shop we were taught how to draft a bail, update/upload activities on the NULAI
prison blog, We were also taught how to interview inmates, we talked about
advocacy visit to stake holders also that we would be having a public lecture
on Administration of criminal justice Act, Also we were lectured on Data
management program and also how to fill prison pretrial forms.
We
started putting into practice all we have learnt at the workshop, I went with
my colleagues to one of the advocacy visits, we went to the Legal Aid Council,
Ilorin, we met with the coordinators they explained to us how the system
operates and they also made it known to us that they will be available to take
up cases for us anytime we need their help.
I
actually looked forward to the prison visitations, I went for prison visitation
twice and I was able to Interview two clients with my partners.It was an
educative experience having to talk to people to give their true life
experience about what led to their arrest and being locked up in prison, no
doubt they are lessons about life. Much had been learnt and I am still
learning, parts of what have been learnt are:
·
How to interview clients the questions
to be asked, what we ought not to ask and how to react to real life situations
as a lawyer.
·
Also going to court to watch proceedings,
writing reports about it.
·
Learning how the prison operates
·
The project taught me how to relate with
the accused persons, their families ,the need to speak with them after every
trial in court
·
And we are not to guarantee the inmates
ultimate assurance of Victory.
Being
part of the project is a beautiful experience, though challenging but
educative, it opens my mind as a law student to the factual situations, the
loopholes in the Nigeria justice system and how to solve these problems.
The
experience has changed my perspective in a way that mostly I do believe
information or stories given by a person quickly, information on factual
issues, but the interview with the inmates taught me some lessons that some
people do lie just to be at anyone's mercy, the inmates sometimes do not give
the real story of what led to their arrest and being in prison.
Things
can be improved in many ways, though there are some loopholes in our justice
system, my suggestions are:
·
The government needs to ensure the
proper management of our prisons
·
The prison management also needs to take
note that inmates who are done serving their jail terms are released and
connected with their families
·
Also inmates that are not supposed to be
kept in prisons should not be in prisons, one of the cases we handled in our clinic
in Unilorin, an inmate who was suspected to be insane was interviewed and the
interview really showed that the inmate was insane, even one of the prison
warders confirmed it, such inmates shouldn't be in the prison, they ought to be
kept in psychiatric hospitals or mental homes, his stay in the prison will only
worsen his situation. This needs to be checked, facilities should be put in
place for cases like this.
·
Also if there's a way to fast track DPP's
advice to hasten bail applications, sentencing and all so that justice can be
attained within reasonable time for accused persons.
This
is a reflection of what I have learnt so far as a project participant, though
still learning.
ALI
NIMAH TITILAYO.
UNILORIN
CLINIC.
Comments
Post a Comment