MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

D. Governor

The Ministry of justice, which is as old as the state itself, is the professional outfit of the state Government on legal matters.  It represents the state Government and any of its Agencies in suits and other cases brought by or against them. The major functions of the Ministry are as listed below:-

·         Advising Government Ministries, Departments and Statutory Corporations as well as state owned companies on legal issues arising from day to day execution of their duties.

·         Clearing of Executive Council Memoranda on filling of vacancies in  chieftaincies and other important policy decisions to ensure that they are done in conformity with relevant declarations and the law.

·         Advising the Law Enforcement Agencies on the desirability or otherwise of  prosecution of simple criminal cases in the Magistrate and other inferior courts and prosecuting the more complex cases in the Superior Courts;

·         Preparing Information , Proofs of Evidence and complaints for filling in the High Courts and other Courts in respect of the cases to be tried before such courts and prosecuting the persons charged before the courts;

·         Representing the Government and all its agencies in all Civil Suits before any court whether as Plaintiffs or Defendants;

·         Drafting of Bills, Local Government Bye – laws, Orders, Instruction and Legal Notices;

·         Drafting or vetting of Agreements in respect of contracts being entered into between the Government and its agencies on one part and outside bodies on the other;

·         Administering the Estates of persons dying intestate as may be referred to the Ministry as well as those who die testate and direct in their Wills that estates should be administered by the Administrator – General and Public Trustee;

·         Revision and reform of the existing laws of the state;

·         Making of recommendations to the Governor on exercise of the constitutional powers to pardon convicts in deserving cases or remit their sentences in part or in whole through the Advisory Committee Council on Prerogative of Mercy;

·         Liaising between the Executive and the Judiciary in matters affecting the administration of Justice;

·         Representing the Federal Government in such criminal and civil actions for or against the government and its agencies as may be specifically delegated to it by the Federal Attorney–General;

The Ministry of Justice is headed by the Honourable Attorney–General and the Commissioner for Justice as the Chief Executive and assisted by the Solicitor – General and Permanent Secretary as Administrative Head and Accounting Officer.

Perhaps it is noteworthy to mention that, the Ministry of Justice is moving out of its shell.  The modern day Ministry of Justice is not limiting its activities to conventional Advocacy and Advisory services alone.  It is extending its activities to that which could held at that which help out not only the poor and the less privileged, but also the vulnerable in our midst.

The Ministry of Justice Ekiti State is now a ministry of justice not only in the technical sense but also where substantial Justice is done not only to the elites in our society buy to the poor as well.  In furtherance of this, the Ekiti Justice Center which was an idea generated by the Ministry of Justice for sponsorship by the Access to Justice Programme of the Department for International Development was put in place primarily to provide free legal advice to residents of Ekiti State and free legal representation to the poor and the less privileged in our midst.

The center, which is located at Tinubu House, Fajuyi Park Ado – Ekiti, has been living to expectations of the general populace in the State.

DIRECTORATE OF Information Technology, Ekiti State, Nigeria