In the bid to ensure that access to justice is easily facilitated and the court system being accessible to people regardless of their statuses, the offering of pro bono services by lawyers and non-governmental organizations have gone a long way in shaping access to justice. Pro bono is short for ‘Pro bono publico’ a Latin phrase which means for the public good. It is used to describe the provision of free legal services by lawyers who are unable to afford it.
In Nigeria, the culture of pro bono services is not strange in the legal sphere. There are numerous law firms, lawyers, organizations that offer pro bono services to members of the public. The system of free legal representation in developed countries has been embraced by other countries of the world, Nigeria inclusive. In fact, the essence of pro bono services cannot be undermined in a country like Nigeria, where there is an increasing gap between the rich and the poor. If truly we hold onto equality of the law, people’s access to justice should not be incapacitated by reason of their financial status or any other negative factor.
Despite that pro bono services are encouraged in Nigeria, there is always more to offer the public in terms of access to justice. There are still thousands/millions of people who need free legal representation for their cases. It is not far farfetched that challenges limit the extent to which pro bono services can be offered (financial challenge and lack of manpower are constant). In the face of these challenges, pro bono lawyers or firms or organizations cannot seem to do much for people who are unable to afford free legal services.
It is always said that the judiciary is the hope of the common man. With an ineffective and lagging system of free legal representation, the hope of the common man is dashed. Lawyers or firms that offer pro bono services are encouraged to keep up the great work even in the face of any existing challenge. It is indeed a great feat to see that Mr. Sulaimon is not imprisoned for an offence he did not commit, or Tola who has been unlawfully arrested or detained. With the knowledge of the fact that there will always be the likes of Mr.Sulaimons out there, the role of pro bono services cannot be over-emphasized.