- Attorney General Fagbemi announces National Justice Reform Summit to address sector challenges, review draft legislations for justice improvements
- Summit, themed “Repositioning the Justice System,” aims for efficiency, fairness, and accessibility in delivering justice, collaborating with NBA and NJC
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) announced during a news briefing on Thursday that the upcoming National Justice Reform Summit will address challenges within the justice sector by reviewing draft legislation proposed for this purpose.
Scheduled to be opened by President Bola Tinubu on April 24, the summit will be conducted in collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the National Judicial Council (NJC). It will take place at the auditorium of the National Judicial Institute in Abuja on April 24 and 25.
Themed “Repositioning the Justice System: Constitutional, Statutory and Operational Reforms for Access and Efficiency”, the summit aims to collectively tackle pressing issues hindering the efficient, fair, and people-centred delivery of justice in Nigeria.
Fagbemi highlighted that the summit will feature a keynote address by Dr. Willy Mutunga, a renowned legal scholar and former Chief Justice of Kenya, known for his commitment to democratic principles and human rights.
Among its goals, the summit will review, validate, and adopt the revised National Policy on Justice 2024-2028 to drive prison reforms, enhance access to justice for Nigerians, and review electoral laws and procedures in handling election-related cases.
A comprehensive policy document outlining initiatives in 17 thematic areas will be produced to reform the justice sector to enhance its effectiveness and accessibility to all Nigerians, ensuring justice as a right for all.
Fagbemi said, “This crucial event seeks to address the significant challenges plaguing Nigeria’s justice sector and pave the way for much-needed reforms to make justice more accessible to all Nigerians.
“The policy aims to address various challenges within the legal framework, seeking to promote social cohesion, bolster economic development, and foster good governance.
“Furthermore, the summit will deliberate on draft legislations proposed to address specific identified challenges within the justice sector, relating to the judicial appointments process, administration, funding and budgeting for the judiciary, the elimination of delays and inefficiencies in justice delivery, and to evolve ways to reduce the amount of time for adjudication of cases, eliminate some of the associated technicalities, and reduce the number of cases getting to the Supreme Court.
“In this regard, we intend to look at a situation where many cases will terminate at the court of appeal to reduce the burden on our noble justices of the Supreme Court.
“These proposed laws are expected to catalyse collective action and provide a guiding framework for relevant governmental institutions at national and sub-national levels to establish an effective, efficient, and people-centred justice system. We cannot afford to remain complacent in the face of the obstacles impeding the efficient delivery of justice for all Nigerians.”
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