ABSU LAW CLINIC
CLINICAL LEGAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Call for participation
CLINICAL LEGAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Call for participation
Prisons Services Clinic:
1st Pre-field/Prisons Visit Workshop
10 February 2009; Time 11:00 am
Faculty of Law, Abia State University, Uturu
1st Pre-field/Prisons Visit Workshop
10 February 2009; Time 11:00 am
Faculty of Law, Abia State University, Uturu
Guest speaker: Comptroller of Prisons, Abia State Command;
Guest of Honour: Prof. Ernest Ojukwu, DDG, Nigeria Law School, Enugu Campus/President, Network of University Legal Aid Institutions, Nigeria.
Chief Host: Prof. U. Umozurike, Dean, Faculty of Law, ABSU.
Guest of Honour: Prof. Ernest Ojukwu, DDG, Nigeria Law School, Enugu Campus/President, Network of University Legal Aid Institutions, Nigeria.
Chief Host: Prof. U. Umozurike, Dean, Faculty of Law, ABSU.
Convener: Sam Erugo, Coordinator, ABSU CLE Programme
Introduction:
In the 2007/2008 session the ABSU Law Clinic established the prisons services clinic to solve the then pressing need to have live clients for our compulsory CLE programme. During the prison visits to the Okigwe Prisons, the students were beseeched by all categories of inmates-convicted and awaiting trial-all seeking legal counselling and assistance. The students were not prepared for these challenges and the varying legal needs and issues presented them. But that experience has revealed the yearning need to improve our prisons’ service clinic to serve some vital legal needs of prison inmates and other stakeholders. From the reports of the interview sessions as prepared by the students and the feed-back mechanism from the last exercise, it is obvious that the legal needs of prisons inmates are too numerous for the ill-equipped student-clinician. Again, the students’ report shows lack of basic and requisite knowledge required for the conduct of such visit and the reporting of same, with the skills, values and confidentiality involved. This workshop aims to equip the students and prepare them for the 2008/2009 prisons services session with ethical and professional skills and values in mind.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this workshop, the students should:
1. be able to identify and list the rules of prison visits, interviews and
Reporting;
2. be able to conduct such prison visits and interviews at Umuahia and
Okigwe prisons.
3. be able to identify and list the legal needs of categories of inmates.
4. be able identify the available legal aid facilities presently available to the
inmates.
Thanks to all those who have contributed to the planning process, including: Mr. Innocent Okoronye, Dr. Eze Ngwakwe, Mr. Emeka Ezeogu, Dr. Sam Agu and the student clinicians groups led by Ijebuonwu Orisa Jnr./Maureen Obi.
Participation is free and open to all staff and students of the Faculty; and all clinicians. If you are unable to attend you may wish to contribute to this blog.
Sam Erugo,
Introduction:
In the 2007/2008 session the ABSU Law Clinic established the prisons services clinic to solve the then pressing need to have live clients for our compulsory CLE programme. During the prison visits to the Okigwe Prisons, the students were beseeched by all categories of inmates-convicted and awaiting trial-all seeking legal counselling and assistance. The students were not prepared for these challenges and the varying legal needs and issues presented them. But that experience has revealed the yearning need to improve our prisons’ service clinic to serve some vital legal needs of prison inmates and other stakeholders. From the reports of the interview sessions as prepared by the students and the feed-back mechanism from the last exercise, it is obvious that the legal needs of prisons inmates are too numerous for the ill-equipped student-clinician. Again, the students’ report shows lack of basic and requisite knowledge required for the conduct of such visit and the reporting of same, with the skills, values and confidentiality involved. This workshop aims to equip the students and prepare them for the 2008/2009 prisons services session with ethical and professional skills and values in mind.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this workshop, the students should:
1. be able to identify and list the rules of prison visits, interviews and
Reporting;
2. be able to conduct such prison visits and interviews at Umuahia and
Okigwe prisons.
3. be able to identify and list the legal needs of categories of inmates.
4. be able identify the available legal aid facilities presently available to the
inmates.
Thanks to all those who have contributed to the planning process, including: Mr. Innocent Okoronye, Dr. Eze Ngwakwe, Mr. Emeka Ezeogu, Dr. Sam Agu and the student clinicians groups led by Ijebuonwu Orisa Jnr./Maureen Obi.
Participation is free and open to all staff and students of the Faculty; and all clinicians. If you are unable to attend you may wish to contribute to this blog.
Sam Erugo,
Coordinator, ABSU CLE/Law Clinic
On Tuesday, February 11, 2009, the ABSU Law Clinic organised its 1st Pre-field/Prisons Visit Workshop to prepare the student clinicians for the session's Prisons Services Clinic.The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Sam Erugo, Coordinator of the ABSU Law Clinic, to set the tone of the highly interactive workshop.The guest speaker was Elder Chris S. Ntewo, the Controller of Prisons, Abia State Command, Umuahia. His paper titled “The Nigeria Prison Service-History, relevance and the ethics of visiting the Prisons” was well delivered,quite incissive and informative.It elicited great applause from participants and the students had opportunity to ask questions and interact with the speaker. This was supported by Mr. Ndupu Azuka, Assistant Controller, Okigwe Prisons, who spoke in the same vein and confirmed the paper as complete and adequate guide to the prisons. They both pledged their support to the Prisons Services Clinic. The inspirational talk of the NULAI President, Professor Ernest Ojukwu added spice to the Workshop while Dr. Eze Ngwakwe moved a vote of thanks to all to end the session.
ReplyDeleteFollowing the pre-field/prisons visit workshop and specifically insights provided by the guest speaker/Prisons Controller,Abia State Command, certain modifications have been made to the scope to be covered.The Aba Prisons will now be added to the list of Prisons to be covered this session.
ReplyDeleteKEYNOTE ADDRESS (Excerpts)
ReplyDeleteIntroduction:
In the 2007/2008 session the ABSU Law Clinic established the prisons services clinic to solve the then pressing need to have live clients ……that experience has revealed the yearning need to improve our prisons’ service clinic ……..This workshop aims to equip the students and prepare them for the 2008/2009 prisons services session with ethical and professional skills and values in mind.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this workshop, the students should:
1. be able to identify and list the rules of prison visits, interviews and Reporting;
2. be able to conduct such prison visits and interviews at Umuahia and Okigwe prisons.
3. be able to identify and list the legal needs of categories of inmates.
4. be able identify the available legal aid facilities presently available to the
inmates.
SCOPE
The scope of the students visit will be restricted to only Umuahia and Okigwe Prisons in Abia and Imo States respectively. Umuahia is the capital city of Abia State while Okigwe, though in Imo State is a semi urban town chosen principally because of its proximity to the clinic. Again, it could be that the factors of urban and rural settings as well as different states prisons and legal aid practices could affect the needs of inmates.
The scope of the work/enquiry at this stage is also limited to: Investigation/Research and Analysis.
METHODOLOGY
This is a pre-field workshop/seminar to support a research project methodology that is basically socio-legal in approach. Data is to be collected through interviews and observations during field work/visits by student-clinicians to the prisons. The prisons visits/field work preceded by this pre-field workshop/seminar shall be concluded with a post field seminar. So we are here for the first phase and expect to gather again to see how far our clinicians would succeed in the set objectives.
In setting the agenda we simply solicit that our speakers will guide us as we venture into the field-the prisons. You will agree with me that the guest speaker is the best person in Abia State to advise us on this challenge. His colleague from the Okigwe Prisons is versed too, but he is from Imo State though so close to us here as to qualify as our neighbour. Then, we are blessed today to have the father of CLE in Nigeria to witness this occasion (Prof. Ernest Ojukwu). Every word from him is an inspiration to all of us students. Gentlemen and ladies, what else can we expect. You are all welcome.
Sam Erugo
Coordinator, ABSU CLE/Law Clinic
Following the Pre field Workshop and follow up group discussion sessions with Supervisors,on 25 February 2009,our Student Clinicians in groups of 10 each visited three Prisons- at Umuahia and Aba (both in Abia State) and Okigwe (Imo State). At the Prisons they attended to prison inmates and offered different forms of legal assistance. The reports will be posted soon.
ReplyDeleteThere has been repeat visits to the Prisons for specific cases, the last being on 16 July 2009.
ReplyDeleteSUMMARY OF REPORTS ON PRISONS’ VISIT OF 25 FEBUARY 2009
ReplyDelete1. Umuahia Prisons
Number of persons interviewed -14
Number of Males - 9
Number of Females - 5
Number of children Nil
Case Analysis:
Murder - 10
Aiding and Abetting - 3
Armed Robbery - 1
2. Okigwe Prisons
Number of persons interviewed - 20
Number of Males - 20
Number of Females - 0
Number of children Nil
Case Analysis:
Murder - 2.
Armed Robbery -12
Rape - 2
Assault - 2
Stealing - 2
3. Aba Prisons.
Number of persons interviewed - 11
Number of Males - 11
Number of Females - 0
Number of children Nil
Case Analysis:
Murder - 2
Armed Robbery -3 Unlawful possession of firearms - 2
Assault - 2
Stealing - 2