10th January, 2018
Some lawyers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have stressed the need for swift dispensation of justice and vigorous legislation as the hallmark of a functional judiciary.
The lawyers made this known in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday.
Mr Anthony Agbonlahor, the Principal Partner, Agbonlahor and Associates said that speedy dispensation of justice would ensure a functional judiciary and put it in the right direction.
Speaking against the backdrop of the ongoing reforms to strengthen the justice sector, Agbonlahor said speedy dispensation of justice was the heartbeat and conscience of any society.
He said swift dispensation of justice would ensure that people get justice promptly without resorting to self help or crude means.
“I am positive and my expectation is high considering the fact that we have a capable chief justice who is willing to drive the reform process to a logical conclusion.
“In no distance time, I believe we shall come up with effective judiciary where justice shall be dispensed timely, a judiciary where Nigerians can be proud of,’’ he said.
The legal practitioner described the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.
“It is the law that has stopped the strong from trampling on the weak; it is the law that has given the weak chance to stand up to the strong as well.
“Justice delayed is justice denied and should understand that the law is the only thing that creates the standard for which society is generally regulated,’’ Agbonlahor said.
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Another lawyer, Mr Timothy Ugochukwu said, “we can initiate amendments to some of our laws that are found to be in contrast with the expected speed and change we want in the society.’’
He identified “unnecessary adjournments’’ as one of the problem affecting speedy dispensation of justice.
“When you see justice delayed, it is because of the evil machinations of some bad lawyers,’’ he said.
While advocating for a vigorous legislation and swift dispensation of justice, Ugochukwu said that some counsels must stop their attitude of devising means to delay matters in court.
“This happens when they realise that the cases don’t go in their favour,’’ Ugochukwu said.
Mr Adeniyi Samuel corroborated the thoughts of the other two counsels in affirming his beliefs that the justice sector should deliver speedy dispensation of justice.
“All I say is that the chief justice should declare emergency on the ongoing reforms in order to show the seriousness of the situation,’’ Samuel said.