Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies

The Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) was established in 1979. NIALS is a leading legal research institution in Nigeria that conducts capacity building for lawyers and judges on diverse criminal justice issues. With the previous support, NIALS trained appellate justices, law professors, and law students on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), and developed ACJA curricula in law schools and tertiary institutions. This tie-off award deepens, consolidates, and institutionalizes NIALS’ ACJA work. It strengthens the skills of judges and prosecutors on key anti-corruption laws for effective implementation and compliance with the ACJA. It also supports and guides states to draft court rules and practice directions that align with the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws (ACJLs) in all 36 states in Nigeria. This award also supports the publication and dissemination of case surveys and policy bulletins on the ACJA and ACJLs, as well as other complementary anti-corruption laws. NIALS’ work contributes to On Nigeria’s criminal justice strategy that seeks to institutionalize ACJA, ACJL, and Anti-Corruption Agencies’ tools and methods that deepen and sustain criminal justice reform long after On Nigeria exits the field.

Established in 1979, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) is a top legal research institution in Nigeria. NIALS conducts capacity building for lawyers and judges on diverse criminal justice issues. The Foundation’s previous award to NIALS helped to strengthen criminal justice reform in Nigeria. This renewal supports the development of a trainer-of-trainers curriculum on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and state-level Administration of Criminal Justice Laws (ACJL) for the National Association of Law Teachers; case digests and policy bulletins on ACJA jurisprudence, procedural, and substantive decisions; advocacy for and participation in the legislative and constitutional review of the ACJA; drafting of court rules to assist in the effective implementation of the ACJA; review of the guidelines for the appointment of judges; and drafting of guidelines for criminal justice actors in the context of COVID-19. This award is part of a package of six grants contributing to On Nigeria’s criminal justice strategy that seeks to strengthen and deepen the legal framework for prosecuting criminal cases through implementation of the ACJA and ACJL.

The Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) is the leading institution for research and advanced studies of law in Nigeria. The project supports the implementation of, and compliance with, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) through activities that deepen understanding of the Act, and improve the management and flow of criminal proceedings, including the prosecution of anti-corruption cases. By increasing knowledge and providing practical tools for stakeholders, this project enhances nationwide familiarity of the ACJA, improves expediency in the handling of anti-corruption cases by reducing opportunities for delays in proceedings, and promotes accountability on corruption. The project is expected to contribute to improving the government’s ability to effectively respond to corruption by strengthening the capacity of legal professionals to enforce core elements of the ACJA that support the anti-corruption agenda.