NAN – Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Tuesday decried what he called slow pace of adjudication in spite of several reforms in the nation’s judiciary.
Fashola spoke at a valedictory court session held in honour of the immediate past State Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Phillips.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was part of activities organised by the Lagos State Judiciary to mark the 2014/2015 legal year.
Represented by the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye, Fashola said a lot was being done to eliminate delays in the justice delivery system.
“Despite several reforms in the rules of civil and criminal procedures and the introduction of judicial assistants and verbatim court reporters, the pace of adjudication has remained unsatisfactory for most court users.
“Nigeria is still ranked 136 out of the 168 countries surveyed in the aspect of enforcing contracts.
“According to the survey, resolution of contractual disputes could take an average of 447 days and gulp up to 92 per cent of the contract value in terms of attendant costs,” he said.
The governor noted that the problem was not only an anathema to the course of justice, but also amounted to a violation of the constitutional guarantee of fair hearing within a reasonable time.
“Therefore, the bench, the bar, the government, the academia and other stakeholders must take immediate steps to ensure that the Nigerian justice system is able to meet the real expectations of the people.”
Fashola commended Phillips for her contributions to the advancement of the legal profession, adding that her era was indeed a glorious one in the annals of the Lagos judiciary.
Also speaking, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, promised to continue with the various reforms initiated by her predecessor, her elder sister.
Atilade said: “Today we celebrate our own legal icon and quintessential jurist for her meritorious service to the Lagos State Judiciary.
“She introduced various innovative ideas which helped in reforming our justice delivery system, and also impacted a lot on us positively.”
Two Chairmen of Lagos and Ikeja Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Alex Muoka and Mr Yinka Farounbi, also lauded the retired chief judge.
They commended her for establishing a quarterly Bar-Bench Forum which helped to foster the relationship between judges and lawyers in the state.
Similarly, the Body of Senior Advocates, represented by Mrs Funke Adekoya, said the session was an opportunity to openly acknowledge Phillips’ contributions to the changing legal framework in the state.
In her response, Phillips attributed her success at the Bench to the guidance of her parents, who instilled discipline and the fear of God in her.
She thanked members of the three tiers — judiciary, the executive and the legislature — for their support during her tenure.
NAN reports that Phillips bowed out of office on July 26 after attaining the retirement age of 65.
She was succeeded by her sister, Atilade, who was sworn in on Aug. 20 by Fashola as the 15th chief judge of the state.
