Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami has called for synergy with State Attorney Generals towards deepening the administration of justice in the country.
The Attorney General was speaking at the meeting of the Body of Attorney Generals in Abuja Nigeria, with the theme ‘Enhancing synergy between the Federal and States Government on the Administration of Justice in Nigeria’.
Malami noted that synergy can be attained through robust collaboration between the States and the Federal Government in terms of prosecution and other means of combatting insecurity.
He stressed that the fight against insecurity should not be left to the Federal Government alone, especially for offences that fall within the jurisdiction of the States.
He said that, as Chief Law Officers, they occupy the status of stakeholders in the administration of both civil and criminal justice in Nigeria.
“I challenge us also to focus on identifying areas of peer review and synergy in our legal system in terms of legislation, policies, procedures, capacity building, funding structures or facilities, among others, which can either be replicated or improved upon by us all”.
The Justice Minister enumerated other areas of collaboration as the domestication or review and enforcement of legislation such as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Child Rights Act, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence among others.
“The conference should also afford us the opportunity to determine the milestone we have been able to cover in curbing sexual and gender-based violence since our previous commitments were made in 2017 in our quest to implement reforms in the administration of justice” said Malami
No substitute for rule of law
The Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN Justice Olukayode Ariwoola in a message addressed to the conference promised to promote the rule of law and protect the Judiciary.
He emphasized that there is no substitute for rule of law in any society, as there is no shortcut to equity and fairness in the dispensation of justice.
The CJN represented by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun said, “Judiciary under my watch will not sit by the sidelines and watch the temple of Justice and ministers of Justice being flagrantly chastised and wiped into silence.”
Justice Ariwoola who expressed displeasure with attacks on some court facilities in the country warned that the courts should not be taken for granted.
“I wish to let whoever cares to listen that nobody no matter his or her position in society should mistake our golden silence for weakness or vulnerability.
“The earlier the judicial officers and the courts are respected the better for us.”
Justice Ariwoola urged the Attorney Generals to take a comprehensive approach to the effective and seamless administration of criminal justice and implementation of the rule of law.
The Chairman Body of Attorney Generals Moyosore Onigbanji SAN described the conference as an opportunity to resolve issues between the State and the Federal government as well as bring issues of the rule of law to the front banner.
Also, the President Nigerian Bar Association Mr Yakubu Maikyau SAN urged the Attorney Generals to promote the rule of law in order to prevent the society from anarchy.
Emmanuel Ukoh
