Osinbajo raises alarm over Nigeria’s justice system, says courts danger dropping credibiltiy
Former Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo has warned that the credibility of Nigeria’s judiciary is beneath threat except pressing reforms are carried out.
Talking in Abuja on the public presentation of Civil Litigation: A Fast Reference Information to Substantive Legislation and Process by Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, a retired justice, Osinbajo stated civil fits dragging for many years have eroded public confidence within the courts.
He recalled a case the place the English Court docket of Attraction dismissed arguments to maintain a industrial dispute in Nigeria after a former chief justice admitted that civil litigation might take 20 to 30 years.
“The English courtroom concluded that leaving such issues unresolved in Nigeria can be catastrophic,” Osinbajo stated.
He argued that the delays are pushed not by lack of legal guidelines however by systemic inefficiencies.
He cited infinite adjournments, preliminary objections, interlocutory appeals, and what he known as “recycled authorized jargon” as procedural bottlenecks that entice litigants in frustration.
“Justice beneath such situations ceases to be about entry, and turns into about escape,” he stated.
The previous vp additionally spoke on challenges in authorized schooling, revealing that though two of his kids have been anticipated to check legislation, none did, discouraged by what he described as “a mountain of books and overwhelming educational calls for.”
Wanting forward, Osinbajo stated that know-how, notably Synthetic Intelligence (AI), holds the potential to rework the supply of justice within the nation.
He defined that AI instruments can now analyse huge databases, draft authorized opinions, help judges in writing judgements, and seamlessly file proceedings.
“These should not prospects of the long run; they’re right here now. Our judiciary should embrace them, if we would like well timed outcomes,” he stated.
Turning to the writer of the e-book, Osinbajo congratulated Adefope-Okojie for producing the fourth version of the 853-page reference work.
He described the e-book as “a landmark achievement” that can proceed to information practitioners and students navigating civil process in Nigeria.
He concluded by urging legal professionals, judges, and policymakers to grab the second for reform.
“It’s only by way of daring adjustments and adoption of recent instruments that our courts can reclaim the belief of the individuals,” he stated.