RESEARCH PLAN

Research plan

Research plan

Literature Review

Members of the general public, like legal professionals, require legal information. They need to understand the law to enable them to perform the various challenges presented to them in life without worrying about going against it. However, before any effort is made to discuss the legal information needs of the public in detail, it is important that we define the public in this context. The general public in this regard comprises all citizens in a country other than members of the legal community. The legal community includes practising lawyers, academic lawyers, and law students. In other words, it includes all legal professionals as well as lawyers in the making. The legal profession does not include paralegals such as court clerks, law clerks, as these people do not hold legal qualifications.

As stated earlier, it is not only members of the legal community who require legal information. The general public also require this information. Among them are accountants, police officers, prison officers, probation officers, labour officers, court personnel, immigration officers, customs officers, and other civil servants. Politicians, too, require knowledge of the law. Above all, the general citizen needs to be up to date with the law.

The Rationale for Legal Information

Legal information is basic to all, both lawyers and non-lawyers. Parliament does not enact laws for the exclusive use of lawyers. The law is supposed to be understood and used by each and every citizen. The Government and the law in particular, expect every citizen to be knowledgeable in all matters pertaining to the law. That is certainly the reason why ignorance of the law is considered no defence in courts of law.

A number of reasons can be advanced in support of legal information being available for the general public. It enables people to perform their work effectively and within legal boundaries. Police officers, for instance, require an understanding of the law to enable them to maintain law and order. Police prosecutors need to understand the penal code, criminal procedure code and Evidence Act to be able to prosecute cases in court. Similarly, prison officers need legal information to enable them to manage prisoners and assist them to reform so that they can be better citizens tomorrow. Civil servants need to understand the law to enable them to carry out their duties effectively in areas such as customs, immigration, health, environment, labour, etc.

Legal information is required to assist in industrial disputes. Where there is a labour dispute, trade unionists or shop stewards and management may resort to the law to settle the dispute. Legal information is equally required to support training programmes in various sectors of the establishment. The training for police, prisons and administrative officers in the civil service calls for complete mastery of relevant sections of the law.

From time to time, journalists are called upon to write reports and articles on areas that touch on the fringes of the law; or reports that have legal implications. Reference to the law is appropriate here to enable them to ...