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The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has said the Federal Government, the Nigeria Bar Association and the judiciary are working to address the issue of conflicting judgments.
Speaking with journalists on Wednesday during the Conference of the Network of Justice Sector Reform Teams, Fagbemi lamented occasions where the state high courts and the Federal High Court gave different judgments on the same matter.
Fagbemi said the judiciary had set up a panel to prevent occurrences of conflicting judgments.
He particularly said the judiciary would leverage technology to address the trend.
He attributed the issue to overzealous litigants, some unscrupulous lawyers who fail to disclose previous rulings that might affect their cases.
Though he noted that the judiciary was on the concurrent list, he said stakeholders had resolved to get to the root cause of conflicting judgments.
He said, “It is the professional duty of every lawyer to present all relevant cases to the court, even those that might go against their client’s interests.
“The judiciary has established a panel to explore ways to prevent future occurrences of conflicting judgments. This includes leveraging technology to enhance transparency and coordination within the judicial system.
“For instance, if a judgment is delivered in Zaria, a lawyer in Lagos should be able to access it seamlessly,” he explained.
The AGF also stated that stricter requirements for filing suits, such as mandatory disclosure of previous cases by litigants had been included in the filling of cases.
“Failure to disclose previous filings can now lead to outright dismissal of cases,” he stated.
Fagbemi assured Nigerians of the government’s resolve to reform the judiciary and urged all stakeholders to support these initiatives.
Speaking on the need for judicial reforms in the country, the minister highlighted the necessity of embarking on reforms in the nation’s judicial system.
He revealed that the much-needed reforms are central to President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s developmental blueprint.
Fagbemi stated: “As you are aware, the reform of the justice sector is at the core of this administration’s developmental agenda. One of the key components of our Renewed Hope Agenda is to propel judicial reforms to achieve sustainable socio-economic growth and investment, facilitated by the rule of law, and to tackle the obstacles impeding the administration of justice in our country.
“It is a fundamental pillar on which the rule of law is built, and it is crucial for maintaining peace, stability, and social cohesion.
“Nevertheless, as we convene here today, we do so amidst persistent challenges that continue to obstruct the effectiveness and accessibility of our justice system.”
He reaffirmed the federal government’s dedication to addressing challenges in the justice system through strategic policies and other measures that will directly enhance democratic norms, the rule of law, access to justice, and minimum standards for human rights enforcement.
Fagbemi mentioned that the government has initiated various reformative actions aimed at driving critical reforms in the justice sector.
“For instance, I recently inaugurated the Presidential Committee for the Review and Update of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to identify obsolete laws and take steps to update and consolidate our laws.
“Additionally, with the collaboration of all stakeholders, the National Policy on Arbitration and National Policy on Justice have been developed as frameworks outlining the desired reforms in the justice sector.
“It is essential for me to also state that at the core of our reform agenda in the justice sector lies the National Policy on Justice, which identifies the root causes of the failures and inadequacies of the justice system and their adverse impact on the nation.
“The policy aims to build on various reform initiatives and achieve inter-agency (institutional) cooperation and coordination. Its objective is to garner consensus among stakeholders to drive comprehensive development of all processes or components of the Nigerian justice system.
“We acknowledge that Nigeria practices a federal system of government, which envisions a synergistic relationship between the central government and the sub-national entities known as federating units. It is on this basis that we continue to engage with our counterparts from the states to devise uniform strategies to address our shared challenges,” Fagbemi elaborated.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who declared the conference open on Tuesday, stated: “This conference could not have come at a more opportune time as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu mobilizes the Honourable Attorney General and his team to revamp the system for improved outcomes.
“I am confident that the JSRT will tackle all pending issues on judicial reforms from a standpoint of knowledge and patriotism, and in a manner that enhances public confidence in the judicial system.
“I wish you a fruitful stay in Ilorin as you devise appropriate mechanisms to propel justice sector reform in the country”, the governor said.
The three-day conference was organised with the support of the European Union-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme of the International IDEA.
Discussing the essence of the RoLAC II conference in Ilorin, Dr Oluwatoyin Badejogbin, who is the Project Manager of Component 1 – Criminal Justice Reform, RoLAC II Programme of International IDEA, emphasized the need to identify gaps within the justice system in the country and rectify them.
“These gaps result in anomalies such as congestion in correctional facilities and the sluggish pace of dispensing justice in the country,” he remarked.
Over the years, RoLAC and the FmoJ have hosted JRTs with the primary goal of promoting coordination in justice delivery. Network meetings offer platforms for sharing experiences and peer learning, leading to a wide array of reforms. Achievements include the adoption of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws by all 36 states in the federation.
