ALDRAP advocates legislative drafting in a Bill scheduled for public hearing tomorrow in NASS

Association of Legislative Drafters and Advocacy Practitioners,(ALDRAP) has advocated for Legislative Drafting to be recognized as an area of legal practice in Nigeria as lawmakers start public hearing on Bill on Monday.

ALDRAP, an advocacy group championing legislative drafting in Nigeria in a statement signed by its Secretary, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja, recommended that an additional sub-section (7) be added/inserted to Clause (section) 7 of the Legal Practitioner’s Bill, scheduled for public hearing by Senators tomorrow in NASS.

According to ALDRAP the new Clause 7. should read as follows:
(a) giving advice or counsel to persons as to their legal rights or responsibilities or to
(6)Notwithstandingthe provisions above, the following are permitted whether they
(b) Serving as arbitrator, mediator, conciliator or expert determiner; and
the legal rights of a person;
to, preparing or filing documents or conducting discovery; or constitute the practice of law

(a) Pro se representation; following conduct on behalf of another:

7. A person is presumed to be practicing law or providing legal services when engaging in
(a) negotiating legal rights or responsibilities on behalf of a person.
or not:

(c) representing a person before an adjudicative body, including, but not limited any of the those of others;

(b) trainee law students working under the direct supervision of persons entitled to (c) selecting, drafting, or completing legal documents or agreements that affect practice to be practicing law or providing legal services when engaging in Legislative Drafting
Association of Legislative Drafters and Advocacy Practitioners-ALDRAP”
Advocacy either as a staff of the National Assembly, State House of Assembly, Local
Government Area (LGA) Legislative Assembly or as a legal consultant, provided such a person has prior certification issued under the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education
law in Nigeria in strict compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct.

(7)In addition to the list provided in the above, sub-section 7 (1)-(6), a person is presumed programme of the Nigerian Bar Association’s accredited organisation namely the Association of Legislative Drafters and Advocacy Practitioners,(ALDRAP).