President Bola Tinubu, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), expressed on Wednesday the determination of the present administration to give a fresh direction to the justice sector in the country through a holistic overhaul of the sector.assured of his commitment in ensuring that thoughtful and transformative justice reforms are seamlessly integrated into the ongoing amendments to the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
“This integration will not only fortify our constitution and electoral framework but will also ensure that justice—both in letter and in spirit—becomes more attainable for every Nigerian”.
While calling on the judiciary to harness the potential of technology within the judicial processes to enhance speed and transparency, Akpabio said that the Senate is committed to budgeting for the implementation of judicial reforms that will include the adoption of digital tools to manage cases more effectively and ensure that justice is neither delayed nor denied.
Akpabio also called for a reform in the approach to interlocutory appeals in civil cases to avoid unnecessary delays, prolong litigation and burden the courts in the country.
The Senate President said all appeals in civil cases should be taken only after the conclusion of the substantive case.
This change, he said, will accelerate judicial processes, reduce backlog, and ensure that litigations are not unduly prolonged by intermediate appeals.
In his speech, Fagbemi said the Federal Government is committed to fashioning a clear strategy that will reposition and strengthen the justice sector for greater access, transparency, accountability, fairness, and efficiency in the entrenchment of the rule of law in Nigeria and the administration of justice in general.
The AGF said one of the cardinal items of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration is to drive judicial reforms to achieve sustainable socio-economic growth and investment, facilitated by the rule of law, and to address the challenges militating against judicial development in the country.
This, he said, will ensure ease and efficiency in service delivery and will significantly boost awareness and access to justice for persons seeking administrative or judicial remedy.
“The justice sector under my watch will continue to push for mutuality in the formulation and implementation of the National Policy on Justice and the National Judicial Policy.
“In furtherance of the above, we are developing draft constitution amendment bills that are aimed at achieving the aims of improved access to justice, deepening the independence and capacity of the judiciary, and eliminating delays in the administration of justice, among others.”.
The summit, he said, promises to be a turning point in the advancement of the judicial critical sector of the nation, adding that every country or organisation desirous of sustainable socio-economic development must place a premium on matters of law and justice.
“Specifically, it enables us to measure the impact of the reforms initiated by the National Policy on Justice (2017–2023) in the key areas of administration of justice, law enforcement, judicial proceedings, correctional services, restorative and traditional justice, legal education and practice, etc.”.
Highlighting some of the key interventions proposed to be pursued in the Revised National Policy on Justice, 2024, Fagbemi said that the policy seeks to promote and protect human rights and access to justice, which are essential features of a functional justice system.
“It proposes practical and sustainable interventions in the implementation of statutory provisions encouraging the protection of human rights and access to justice, among others,” he added.
The keynote speaker and former Chief Justice of Kenya, Dr. Willy Mutunga, said in his speech that Nigeria’s constitution needs to be overhauled.
He added that the country’s judicial system should be reformed to enable people to have access to the court.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), who spoke at the event, called on judges to remain focused and discharge their duties without fear or favour.
In his speech, the CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, commended President Tinubu for his support of the judiciary, adding that there is a need for repositioning the justice sector to see to it that justice is not only done but seen to be done.
Justice Ariwoola urged judicial officers to leverage technology to avoid delays in justice delivery, adding that upholding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary is paramount.
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