preparation and conduct of his defence or appeal and if such a person has insufficient means to obtain such aid, the officer should certify that the person ought to have such legal aid. Once it is so certified, the Registrar shall, as far as practicable assign to the accused person, an advocate for that purpose. The Court observes that the Court of Appeal of Tanzania has held that this provision, read together with Section 310 of the Criminal Procedure Act provides for the right of accused persons to get legal aid, the right to be informed of that right and that failure to so inform an accused person wHI render a trial a nullity.25 123. In conclusion, the Court finds that, the Applicant was entitled to legal aid and he need not have requested for it. The Court notes that even after requesting for it, his request was not granted. The Applicant was charged with the offence of armed robbery, which is a serious offence and which carries a minimum sentence of thirty (30) years imprisonment. He was unrepresented and of ill health, which . occasioned him to be absent during the presentation of his defence. Under these circumstances, it was desirable and in the interests of justice for the courts of the Respondent State to have provided the Applicant with legal aid. 124. In the instant case, the relevant factors that the Court finds should have been borne in mind in the determination of the provision of legal aid to the Applicant, are, the gravity of the offence that the Applicant was facing, the minimum sentence the offence carries as 25 Moses Muhagama Laurance v Government of Zanzibar Criminal Appeal N[umber] 17 of 2002 citing Thomas Miengi v R[epublic] [1992] JTLR 157 Pages 11 - 14 of the Judgment 8 October 2001.