PRESENTATION AT THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION ANNUAL GENERAL - PDF document

PRESENTATION AT THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION ANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE, ABUJA 2015 ON CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN JUDICIAL REFORMS IN NIGERIA Introduction The words of the then Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal at the public hearing of the bill for the enactment of the administration of Criminal Justice Bill vividly captures the need for continuous judicial reform of any nation. According to him “….human society is dynamic; the system of administration of justice cannot be static but must be improved to create more effective and efficient mechanisms, procedures and institutions for dealing with the new realities and challenges in the society. This is because it is impossible to have a sound economy without a solid foundation of good laws that can curb anti-social behaviours and other disruptive tendencies. As we develop plans and strategies for the economic and other forms of reforms, we also need to develop plans and programmes for creating sound laws and procedural systems consistent with our commitment to our legislative agenda.” One cannot but agree with the above submission as a sound economy is the surest engine of growth and the shortest route to tackling the challenges that confronts any given society. No nation, therefore, can boast to have achieved the best of reform in its judicial system at any given time without putting measures in place that allow for the continuous reform of its justice sector in line with the changes inherent in human society which also translates to changes in the economy. The role of law in promoting economic development cannot be underscored because most of human lives and interaction with each other are regulated by law. Law serves an economic function because it recognises the freedom to do business within defined parameters. To 1 ¡ ¡

ensure a sound economy therefore, the legal regime must be equally sound and make provisions of an assuring platform for entrepreneurs and businesses that can create jobs towards alleviating or at least significantly diminishing poverty 1 . Judicial reform requires both cultural and systematic change in the delivery of justice. Such a program include repealing/ amendment of antiquated laws, enactment of modern laws to meet the needs of ever changing socio-economic conditions, court modernization and restructuring, legal reforms and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, training of judges, court personnel, and lawyers, students and civil society; and improved access to justice 2 . At the fulcrum of the achievement of sound judicial reform by any nation is an improved access to justice. Access to justice implies that people in need of help find effective solutions available from justice systems which are accessible, affordable, comprehensible to ordinary people, and which dispense justice fairly, speedily and without discrimination, fear or favour and a greater role for alternative dispute resolution. It includes the judicial and administrative remedies and procedures available to an aggrieved person or one likely to be aggrieved by an issue; the fair and equitable legal framework that protects human rights and ensures delivery of justice. Without effective access to justice there is no effective legal protection of human rights which invariably will promote self help and attendants crimes. That is why the legislatures or parliaments, governments and ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ 1 Review ¡of ¡laws ¡for ¡social ¡and ¡economic ¡development ¡in ¡Nigeria ¡byBolajiOwasanoye ¡on ¡Vanguard ¡ Newspaper, ¡October ¡23, ¡2009. ¡Available ¡at ¡http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/review-­‑of-­‑laws-­‑ for-­‑social-­‑and-­‑economic-­‑development-­‑in-­‑nigeria. ¡ 2 ¡Judicial ¡Overhaul ¡Urgently ¡Needed ¡In ¡Nigeria ¡by ¡Charles ¡Musa, ¡Premium ¡Times, ¡July ¡11, ¡2013. ¡ Available ¡at ¡http://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/140724-­‑judicial-­‑overhaul-­‑urgently-­‑needed-­‑in-­‑ nigeria-­‑by-­‑charles-­‑musa.html. ¡ ¡ 2 ¡ ¡

courts of every country have a positive duty to translate the ideal of effective access to justice into practical reality. Effective access is everywhere, should enjoy the equal protection of the law if there is to be justice for all 3 . The success of an effective justice system is measured not only by the number of cases that it manages to dispose of, but also and more specifically by the amount of litigation which is avoided because the rights and obligations of parties are ascertainable in advance. Where the justice system is reasonably effective and coherent, parties are able to ascertain the extent of their rights and obligations without systematic reference to the courts. In the context of judicial reform programs, the measures which need to be taken to reduce the duration of the litigation process are those relating to avoidable sources of delay, which tend to slow down and even halt proceedings unnecessarily 4 . The growing awareness and recognition on the part of African governments, donor agencies/development partners and Civil Society Groups, that poor people, particularly women, the powerless and the disadvantaged, are the most vulnerable to all forms of crime and discrimination; and that in very many cases, formal justice systems fail to protect them, is a step in the right direction. This has recently necessitated the need for African governments to develop the capacity to ensure safety, security and access to justice for all 5 . ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ 3 The ¡Establishment ¡of ¡Registry ¡Offices: ¡-­‑ ¡Legal ¡Justification, ¡Form ¡And ¡Modalities ¡Of ¡Their ¡Functioning ¡ by ¡Professor ¡MuhammedTawfiqLadan ¡(Ph.D), ¡Department ¡Of ¡Public ¡Law, ¡Faculty ¡Of ¡Law,Ahmadu ¡Bello ¡ University, ¡Zaria. ¡A ¡presentation ¡made ¡by ¡an ¡international ¡conference ¡on ¡the ¡theme ¡“Strategies ¡for ¡ the ¡strengthening ¡of ¡the ¡effectiveness ¡of ¡the ¡ECOWAS ¡Court ¡of ¡Justice ¡organised ¡by ¡theECOWAS ¡Court ¡ of ¡Justice, ¡Abuja ¡ON ¡21-­‑25 ¡February, ¡2011 ¡At ¡Ange ¡Hill, ¡East ¡Legon ¡Hotel, ¡Accra, ¡Ghana. ¡ 4 POLICY ¡BRIEF: ¡Use ¡of ¡Data ¡in ¡Criminal ¡Court ¡Performance ¡Measurement ¡November, ¡2012, ¡Chicago ¡ Apple ¡Seed ¡Journal. ¡Available ¡at ¡http://www.chicagoappleseed.org. ¡ ¡ 5 ¡Op. ¡Cit. ¡footnote ¡3. ¡ 3 ¡ ¡

The importance of justice systems for improving the lives of poor people by ensuring that everybody has access to systems which dispense justice fairly, speedily and without discrimination cannot be over-emphasized. Failure of states to provide citizens with protection from crime and access to justice impedes sustainable development 8. All people have a right to go about their lives in peace, free to make the most of their opportunities. They can only do so if the institutions of justice and law and order protect them in their daily lives. States with poorly functioning legal systems and poor crime control mechanisms are unattractive to investors, so economic growth also suffers. Nigeria judicial sector has undergone some remarkable reforms though had been variously criticized for a plethora of reasons ranging from corruption, lack/inequality of access to justice, slow dispensation of justice, high cost of justice, and a host of others. The problems have been attributed to a number of players in the sector including government interference (lack of judicial independence), lawyers, judges, prison officials, police, etc. The submissions of the guest speakers at the public hearing of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 organised by the House of Representatives in 2014 captures the perception of many on the Nigerian judicial system. The police, lawyers, prisons officials and even judges were accused of contributing to the slow pace of criminal justice delivery (which invariably includes the civil cases) by acts of omission or commission. For the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta: “Corruption is the only reason that can explain the snail speed at which the administration of criminal justice is moving in Nigeria. There have been sad instances where prosecuting lawyers consciously and deliberately let in loopholes in the 4 ¡ ¡