We’ll Reform Justice Sector – Fagbemi

The minister of justice and attorney general of the federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said that reforming the justice sector is at the heart of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s developmental blueprint.

Fagbemi stated this at the opening ceremony of the Network of Justice Sector Reform Teams( JSRTs) conference in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The Federal Ministry of Justice organised the conference with the support of the European Union-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC II) Programme of the International IDEA.

Fagbemi said,” As you are aware, justice sector reform is at the heart of this administration’s developmental blueprint. You may recall that one of the cardinal items on our Renewed Hope Agenda as an administration is to drive judicial reforms to achieve sustainable socio-economic growth and investment, facilitated by the rule of law and to address the challenges militating against the administration of justice in our country.

The minister noted that the pursuit of justice lies at the heart of Nigerians collective aspirations for a fair and equitable society, adding,” It is a fundamental pillar upon which the rule of law rests. It is essential to maintain peace, stability, and social cohesion. However, as we gather here today, we do so against the backdrop of persistent challenges that continue to hinder the effectiveness and accessibility of our justice system “.

He restated the federal government’s commitment to addressing challenges in the justice system through strategic policies and other mechanisms that will directly impact improving democratic norms, the rule of law, access to justice, and minimum standards for enforcing human rights.

He said the government has undertaken some reformative initiatives that drive 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 (LFN) 2004 to identify obsolete laws and take steps to update and consolidate our laws. Furthermore, with the support of all stakeholders, the National Policy on Arbitration and National Policy on Justice have been developed as blueprints that outline the desired reforms in the justice sector.

“It is pertinent for me to state also that at the heart of our reform agenda in the justice sector is the National Policy on Justice, which identifies the root causes of the failures and inadequacies of the justice system and its adverse impact on the nation. The Policy seeks to consolidate various reform efforts and achieve inter-agency (institutional) cooperation and coordination. Its purpose is to achieve a consensus amongst stakeholders to drive the holistic development of all processes or components of the Nigerian justice system.

“We recognise that Nigeria practices a federal system of government, which envisages a synergetic relationship between the centre and the sub-nationals, otherwise known as federating units. On this basis, we continue to engage with our colleagues from the states to develop uniform strategies to address our common challenges,” Fagbemi explained.

The Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, declared the conference open:” This conference couldn’t have come at a better time as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu mobilises the Honourable Attorney General and his team to rejig the system for better outcomes.

“I have confidence that the JSRT will address all pending issues on judicial reforms from a position of knowledge and patriotism and in a way that strengthens public confidence in the judicial system. I wish you a blessed stay in Ilorin as you articulate appropriate mechanisms to drive justice sector reform in the country.”

At the RoLLAC II conference, Dr Oluwatoyin Badejogbin said that the country’s justice system needs to be fixed by identifying gaps.

“This gap leads to anomalies like congestion in the correctional facilities and slow pace of delivering justice in the country,” he said.