HUMAN rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana SAN, has called for radical judicial reform to make justice accessible to ordinary Nigerians.
Falana made the call on Wednesday while addressing newsmen, after visiting Gov. Alex Otti of Abia State in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South LGA.
He criticised the sluggishness of the courts, noting that it significantly hinders the swift dispensation of justice in the country.
Falana stressed that while political cases were fast-tracked due to legal deadlines, ordinary civil and criminal matters languish in courts for decades without resolution.
He said: “Only their cases move in court because political cases are time-bound, other cases, for me, must be time-bound.
“People make the mistake of saying the judiciary is the last hope of the common man, the common man has no means to go to court.
“The judiciary is the last hope of the elite, the bourgeoisie.
“So if you want the ordinary people to benefit from the judicial system, you must promote authoritative disciplinary solutions.”
He expressed concern over delays in the justice system, stating that many people continue to be sidelined, with some legal cases dragging on for 20, 30, or even 40 years.
He described the situation as a mockery of justice, emphasising the urgent need for reform and timely resolution of cases.
The rights advocate urged governments to invest in traditional systems of dispute resolution, which many Nigerians still rely on daily.
He said: “The majority of our people do not go to Western courts, they patronize traditional rulers and community leaders to solve problems.
“The governments, including that of Abia, must also reform the customary courts, palaces of traditional rulers, where our people access daily to resolve their disputes.
“I think there is a state in the Southwest where you have palace law reports.
“If people have confidence in their community leaders to dispense justice, we must promote such fora.”
He emphasised the need for a dual-track judicial system, where formal and traditional courts work together to ensure justice for all.
Falana said that if the people trust their traditional institutions to deliver justice, then such mechanisms deserve recognition and institutional support.
“What they now call alternative disciplinary solutions is actually African disciplinary solutions.
“Before the colonialists came, our people had nothing to do with adjudication, because you state your own side, I state my own and the leader or the traditional ruler will pronounce justice, and nobody will go and appeal.
“There is no provision for appeals, but under the Western judicial system, you have adjudication, and those cases are never ended.
“You can be in court for 20, 30, 40 years, and that is alien to our traditional judicial system. So, I will call on the governments of Nigeria to pay more attention to the traditional judicial system.
“It is not enough to satisfy the elite; you must satisfy the people and ensure that the judicial system understood by them is supported by the government,” he added.
On his visit to Abia, Falana praised the governor’s development strides, saying he has seen clear signs of governance since the return to democracy in 1999.
“I have seen good roads, hospitals, schools and I have spoken to the people and they are satisfied; but the governor must not relent,” he said.
He warned that public trust comes with responsibility, adding that “the governor owes some of us a duty not to disappoint and we will not spare him if he does.” (NAN)
