Comments By Adebayo Akinlade Esq (National Convener of Citizens Support For Lower Courts)

In respect to the

PRESS STATEMENT

UNDERSTANDING THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE MAGISTRATES LAW OF LAGOS STATE
By
Lawal Pedro, SAN
Hon. Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State.
14th September, 2026.

I have read the comments of the learned silk and HAG of Lagos State and I have a few questions:

1. Why was the office of the AG Lagos not represented at the public hearing
2. Is the Magistrates Courts Law the only Law to push for the increase of retirement age of law officers?
3. Is the HAG suggesting that the magistrates (Judiciary) is the same as law officers (Executive arm of government) in form, responsibility and outputs?
4. Is the concept of separation of powers not important?
5. Is the concept of 3 tiers of government just on paper?

Perhaps we should compare the high court judges to House of Assembly members and governors. We should put all of them under a harmonization plan

We should harmonize Federal High Court Judges, Court of Appeal judges and Supreme Court judges with Federal ministers, House of Representatives, Senate and the presidency.

When at the state level we seek to put Magistrates (State level Judges) in the same class as civil servants we blur the lines of separation of powers. This applies also to equating customary court judges (lawyers who are presidents of these courts at the local government level) to civil servants.

I humbly call on the Lagos State government to have a more robust conversation on this issue rather than increase retirement ages, I believe better working conditions and salaries are more of a priority.

A magistrate who doesn't have a car, a home and a reasonable salary will not stay one day extra in the job if they had a better opportunity outside the magistracy so increasing the retirement age is not the priority and no retention of knowledge will be valuable in improving access to justice when corruption is the order of the day