DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A WEB-BASED LEGAL PRACTITIONER APPLICATION SYSTEM

ABSTRACT

The legal practitioner is a research and law teaching, where Lawyers & Judges study about cases on-line.  They insert in any newspaper, periodical or any other publications and advertisement offering as a member of the Bar to undertake confidential inquiries; to write for publication or give an interview to the press or otherwise cause or permit to be published, except in a legal periodical, any particulars of his practice or earnings in the profession or of cases pending on the courts or cases where the time for appeal has not expired on any matter in which he has been engaged as a member of the Bar, to answer questions on legal subjects in the press or any periodical on in wireless or television broadcast where his name or initials are directly or indirectly disclosed or likely or be disclosed.

The maintenance of a respectful attitude towards the court is been made.  It is unprofessional on the part of a member of the Bar to promote a case, which to his own knowledge is false.

Referring on different cases by some judges and lawyers, considering the fact-finding information displayed on related cases on web.

The situations where cases are adjourned are made known to the public who are interested in those involved in the case.  The aim of the disciplinary committee is to consider and determine any case where it is alleged that a person whose name is on the roll of legal practitioners has misbehaved in his capacity as a legal practitioner or should for any other reason be the subject of proceedings under the Decree to hear appeals from any direction given by the disciplinary committee.  Preparing and from time to time, revising a statement as to the kind of conduct if considered to be infamous conduct in a professional respect.  This is to say that if the case is being adjourned, they will automatically know about the information on-line.

Judgment is being concluded to be available to other practitioners on-line, either in favour or against, depending on the crime committed.

The introduction of a computer application is a great change in a legal practitioner based on the web site through browsing, which helps them to make references on different cases from the files documented.  As a machine, it is faster, accurate, easy to be used.  By the available data, it involves writing a program of instructions.

A lawyer maintains a respectful attitude towards the court.  They have to engage in public prosecutions, to see that justice is done.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

1.0    Introduction                                                                                            

1.1 Statement of problems                                         

1.2 Aims and objectives                                                                     

1.3 Scope of the study                                                                       

1.4 Limitations of the study                                                  

1.5 Definition of terms                                                                      

CHAPTER TWO

2.0    Literature Review                                                                       

CHAPTER THREE

3.0    Description and Analysis of Existing System                            

3.1     Fact finding method                                                                   

3.2     Background of case study                                                          

3.3     Objectives of existing system                                         

3.4     Input process, output analysis                                        

3.5     Information flow diagram                                                          

3.6     Problems of existing system                                                       

3.7     Justification of existing system                                      

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0    Design of new system                                                     

4.1     Output specification and design                                     

4.2     Input specification and design                                       

4.3     File design                                                                                  

4.4     Procedure chart                                                               

4.5     System requirement                                                                    

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0    Implementation                                                               

5.1     Program design                                                               

5.2     Program flow chart                                                                     

5.3     Test Run                                                                         

CHAPTER SIX

6.0    Documentation                                                                           

CHAPTER SEVEN

7.0    Recommendation                                                            

7.1     Conclusion                                                                                  

References                                                                                              

CHAPTER ONE

1.0              INTRODUCTION

To understand the web-based legal practitioner application system, it includes not merely the profession, which is practiced in courts but also covers law teaching, law research, administration in different branches where law plays a role and in fact, commercial and industrial employment and all other activities, which postulates and requires the use of legal knowledge and skill and which adopts legal process also fall within its scope.  The wed based legal practitioner comprises all those who use technical legal knowledge through net in performing their various occupational roles.  These will include such categories as practitioners of law and legal advisers, judges and magistrates, Area court Judges and Islamic Court Judges, academic lawyers and scholars, legal technicians (e.g. consultants) etc.

A legal practitioner is a person entitled to practice as a barrister (advocate) or as a barrister and solicitor.  In Nigeria, every legal practitioner is a barrister and solicitors.  For exam plc, an advocate practicing in a country whose legal system is similar to that of Nigeria may be permitted by the chief justice of Nigeria to practice as a barrister.  The chief justice has no power to permit him to practices as a solicitor.  Further more, a senior Advocate of Nigeria is not entitled to practice as a solicitor.

1.1       STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The problem statement is mainly centralised on the existing method of wed-based legal practitioner application system.  The information obtained on-line, shows that a legal practitioner is entitled to recover his charges by action in a court of competent jurisdiction.  In General, before a legal practitioner brings such action, a bill for the charges containing particulars of the principal items included in the bill and signed by him, or in the case of a firm by one of the partners or in the name of the firm, must have been served on the client personally or left for him at his last address as known to the practitioner or sent by post addressed to the client at that address.

In addition, the period of one month beginning with the date of delivery of the bill must have expired.  There are provisions in the legal practitioners for taxation of bills of charges delivered by legal practitioner to his clients.

The council is to be consulted by the Attorney-General  of the federation before making regulations for the enrolment as legal practitioners in Nigeria, Court of  Appeal Enugu as a case study, members of the legal profession in any other country on a reciprocal basis.

The Attorney – General of the federation is also required to hold consultations with the council before varying the rates of practicing fees specified.

1.2              AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The web-based legal practitioner application system has an increasingly important role in a modern state not only in dispensation of justice but also in the formulation of a just legal order and in the preservation of an efficient juristic order.

The characteristics of the on-line legal practitioner such as independence, integrity, official administration of courts and administration of justice.

There is a roll of legal practitioners kept as a roll of court and maintained by the chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.   In general, a person is entitled to be enrolled if and only if:

(a)    He has been called to the bar by the body of Benchers; and

(b)    He produces a certificate of his call to the Bar to the Chief Registrar of Supreme Court.

In general, persons whose names are on the roll of legal practitioners kept as a roll of court and maintained by the chief Register of the Supreme Court are entitled to practice as barristers and solicitors.  However, the chief justice of Nigeria may, by warrant under his hand authorise a person, whose name is not on the roll, on payment to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of such fee not exceeding 50 Naira as may be specified in the warrant, to practice as a barrister for the purpose of specified proceedings and of any appeal brought in connection with those proceedings.

The power of the chief justice to authorise a person to practise as a barrister under this provision is exercisable where:

(a)     an application for permission to practise as a barrister is made to the chief justice by or on behalf of any person who is the opinion of the chief justice is entitled to practise as an advocate in any country where the legal system is similar to that of Nigeria; and

(b)    the chief justice is of the opinion that it is expedient to permit the person to practice as a barrister for the purpose of proceedings with respect to which the application is brought.

Furthermore, a person for the time being exercising the functions of any of the following offices is entitled to practise as a barrister and solicitor for the purposes of the office:

(a)     The office of the Attorney-General, solicitor-General or Director of public prosecutions of the federation or of a state; and

(b)     Such offices in the public service of the federation or a state as the Attorney-General of the federation or of the state, as the may be.

1.3              SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Reference could be made from different parts of the world about a case on-line.  Considering the fact that information are displayed on the web because, some Judges and Lawyers could be able to make reference on how related cases are being handled.

For instance, somebody is having a case of murder in the court and you want to search, to know how the case was treated or how it was judged.  As a lawyer, you may go on net, to search for a related case to the case you are handling and how it was treated, in order to know or for easy decision on your own cases.

1.4              DETERMINATION OF TERMS

The Council: This is established by the legal education, and is responsible for the legal education of persons seeking to become members of the legal profession.

The Chief Justice: He is to autorise a person whose name is not on the roll, on payment to the Chief Registrar of the supreme court of such fee not exceeding 50 naira as may be specified in the warrant.

A Barrister: His purpose is to specify proceedings and of any appeal brought in connection with those proceedings.

The Disciplinary Committee: They consider and determines any case here it is alleged that a person whose name is on the roll of legal practitioner has misbehaved in his capacity as a legal practitioner or should for any other reason be the subject of proceedings.

Appeal Committee: Hear appeals from any direction given by the disciplinary committee.

General Council of the Bar: Prepares and from time to time, revising a statement as to the kind of conduct it considers to be infamous conduct in a professional respect.

A Lawyer: A lawyer maintains a respectful attitude towards the court.  He s trained and qualified to advice people about the law and represent them in a court of law.

The Judiciary: He settles and decides controversies between he citizens inter se and between the state and the citizens.

The Nigerian Courts: Are the supreme court of Nigeria, the court of Appeal, (and of recent a constitutional court); the federal High Court, a High Court of a state, a sharia Court of Appeals of a state; a customary court of Appeal of a state and such court as may be authorised by law to exercise jurisdiction on matters with respect to which the National Assembly or State House of Assembly (as the case may be) are authorised to make laws.  A law court is a statutory place for proper interpretation of law to resolve disputes and conflict.

Judges: They should indeed move in the direction of the jurisprudence of welfare and adopt a judicial approach that identifies the political, social and economic problems facing the country and using the law to provide solutions to these problems.  They lead in the proceedings.  He has the authority to decide on offenders.

Litigation: This is a process of making or defending a claim in a court of law.

Appellant: Is one who takes a case to the court.  He is the complainant.

Respondent: This is one who is defending in a claim; he is responding to the complaint.

Case list: These are scheduling of cases to be heard by the court on the following day.

Appeal: This can be a formal request to a court of law for a judgment to be passed on an issue.

Motion: In a court, it is application to a court or judge for a ruling or order.

Proceedings: This is an activity carried in a law court in a bid to settle a dispute.

The Registrar: This is a person in the law court that makes entries in the file ie what happens in the court each day.  He signs as the commissioner of oats, compile record or appeals, and access documents and certify them.

Clerk: This can be a person in the court who is in charge of the records of the court.

Court Bailiff: This is a person in the court that serve processes like messengers.

Case Book: Is a book where all cases are recorded, details of each case like names of parties involved in the case, case number (charge number), the name of the high court where the case came from, etc. are recorded in this book-including writ of summon.

Writ of Summon: Is like a form of details of the names of the litigants, the case number etc. it is served to the defendant letting him to know that he has a case and asking him to enter for an appearance.