Activists want overhaul of Justice system in new legal year 2024/2025

Convener of the Fight Against Corruption in the Judiciary (FIACIJ) Mr Bayo Akinlade, on Wednesday in Lagos, called for improved condition of service for the lower courts in Nigeria.

Akinlade made the call in reaction to the new legal year 2024/2025 celebration by the state judiciary.

He also harped on the need for a complete overhaul of the Justice sector, to allow for speedy dispensation of justice

Akinlade noted that lower court judges deserve better respect and pay from respective state government, adding that the new legal year must be characterised by same.

"While the federal government is responsive to the plights of higher court judges, state governments are yet to do anything about the salaries and adequate infrastructure for the magistrates and customary court judges.

"The lower court judges are the ones working the most in our justice system and without them no government can guarantee peace within its polity," he said

Akinlade said that even though the lower courts do not handle election petition matters, voters also come from the local governments to seek justice.

"In the new legal year, it is important for state government to afford better working condition and improved emoluments for the lower court judges," he said

In the same vein, a rights campaigner, Mr Spurgeon Ataene, underscored the need for the drive and audacity to turn the judicial system around, adding that lawyers desire an overhaul of the justice system.

"Without equivocation, I want to suggest even at the risk of repetition, that all strata of the judicial system, needs a rejig.

"It will not be a crime if we begin to focus on specialisation of the different divisions of the high courts for a start.

"In the new legal year, I want to see a judge with deep and extensive knowledge of criminal law to remain there and enhance more knowledge of criminal law, rather than going around the divisions and master none.

"The same goes for admiralty, law of the sea, international law, land law, debt recovery, aviation law, general civil, matrimonial causes, election law among others.

"This should go round all high courts in Nigeria both Federal and State, after all, the National Industrial Court is established to take care of employment issues and related matters," he said

Ataene noted that judges can climb the ladder to the supreme court from these divisions, by which time he said, they would have acquired some proficiency in relevant matters.

"Finally, I insist that for the independence of the judiciary to be truly entrenched, judges of the Appeal and Supreme courts, should go through a rigorous and credible election in the divisions they have chosen to run.

"More so, there should be category of cases that should terminate at the Court of Appeal," he said

He noted that this will enhance speedy dispensation of Justice in the new legal year