Nigerian justice sector ranks low in the world – FCT CJ

[MrVan]

By Ikechukwu  Nnochiri

ABUJA — Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Justice Lawal Gunmi, yesterday, decried the insidious level of corruption in the judiciary, saying the justice sector in the country ranked among the worst in the world.

Justice Gunmi's assertion came barely 24 hours after the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, alleged that some judges in the country lacked "integrity, honesty, knowledge of the law, willingness to listen, empathy, sense of fair play, patience and humility."

Speaking at the commissioning of the International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (ICAMA), in Abuja, Justice Gunmi said lack of timely, predictable and affordable access to justice was having negative toll on the level of confidence citizens and foreigners have on the Nigerian judiciary, saying it contributed to the declining level of investment in the country.

He said: "On the economic angle, it is positive development that this commissioning is taking place at a time when the number of cases filed in our courts are exponentially increasing while on the other hand, government is increasing its drive to encourage investment and growth in the economy.

"Unfortunately, many developing and transition countries, including Nigeria rank poorly in the area of the efficiency of formal justice systems.

"Lack of timely, predictable and affordable access to justice has a negative effect on the business climate because. Experience has shown that serious businesses are reluctant to put money into an economy where safety of their investment cannot be protected.

"This protection includes judicial intervention when disputes arise; obviously, most of these businesses cannot afford to join the waiting list in our courts and thus is where a centre like this comes in handy.

"This centre can offer obvious benefits when properly introduced into a dispute and the process properly managed and some benefits include: faster and less costly resolution of disputes, reduced formality through easier and more accessible process, more efficient dispute resolution in highly technical specialized areas, and reduced backlog of court cases."

Meanwhile, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, who is the founder of ICAMA, said the centre would help towards promoting amicable settlement of disputes without recourse to the courts, noting that it took him 10 years to perfect the process that led to the establishment of the legal body.

Vanguard Nigeria

[MrVan]