First Task For Chief Justice Kekere-Ekun: Speed Of Justice, Says Olisa Agbakoba
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has urged the newly appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to prioritize judicial reforms aimed at restoring public trust and improving the efficiency of the justice system. Agbakoba identified the creation of a “Speed of Justice” program as the first crucial task the new CJN must undertake.
In a statement released on Saturday, Agbakoba emphasized that the current state of the judiciary, where cases can take up to 20 years to reach the Supreme Court, undermines public confidence in the system. He called for a complete overhaul of court procedures and the introduction of modern rules to enhance the delivery of justice.
“The new CJN must work very hard to rebuild public trust in the judiciary, which, sadly, has declined. There has to be a complete overhaul of the operating model of the courts,” Agbakoba stated. “To take up to 20 years for cases to crawl up to the Supreme Court gives little confidence to anyone, not least investors. The first task is to create a ‘Speed of Justice’ program. The courts need new rules of procedure, as the current rules are an outdated, modified version of the English rules, nearly 100 years old.”
Agbakoba also suggested that Nigeria’s judiciary should move towards a 24-hour operation to improve access to justice. He proposed that judges be empowered with new case management tools to expedite cases and deliver timely results.
“The courts must never close. A claimant should be able to file an action at midnight. Judges must have case management powers to deal with cases expeditiously, with the fundamental objective of speed and delivering results to court users,” Agbakoba added. He likened the judiciary’s role to that of a medical doctor, suggesting that measurable results and modern tools would transform the court system.
Agbakoba concluded by stressing that the appointment of more judges alone is not enough, but rather the introduction of transformational rules and procedures that enhance the capacity and productivity of existing judges is essential for meaningful reform.
