The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to ending the longstanding issue of conflicting court judgments in Nigeria’s judiciary.
Speaking on Tuesday in Ilorin at the opening of a three-day conference organized by the Network of Justice Sector Reform Teams (JSRTs), Fagbemi emphasized that President Bola Tinubu’s administration prioritizes judicial reforms as part of its developmental agenda to stimulate economic growth. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Justice, was supported by the European Union-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC II) programme under the International IDEA initiative.
Fagbemi described the era of conflicting judgments as a “recurring decimal” that has recently seen improvements.
He stressed that addressing the root causes, rather than treating symptoms, is crucial to achieving lasting solutions.
“These issues stem from fundamental challenges such as terminology misinterpretation, overzealousness among litigants, and unscrupulous lawyers who fail to inform the court of prior decisions against them on the same matter—a practice that is heavily sanctioned in other jurisdictions,” he said.
The minister highlighted ongoing collaborative efforts with the judiciary and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to prevent future occurrences. “The new Chief Justice of Nigeria is ready, and I am prepared to cooperate fully in this regard. The NBA leadership has also recognized the need to put an end to this trend,” Fagbemi added.
He noted that technological advancements are being integrated into the judicial process to enable real-time access to the latest rulings nationwide. “With this system, a case will be dismissed if a lawyer fails to disclose that it had been previously filed and ruled upon, even if the judgment was unfavorable,” he explained.
Addressing recent public criticism over the trial of minors in a federal high court, Fagbemi defended the actions of law enforcement, stating, “The police committed no offence in taking the case to the federal high court.
Despite public opinion, the procedure was within legal bounds, which is why we intervened, even though the matter came up on a Saturday. I am not afraid to state the truth.”
The conference underscores the Tinubu administration’s focus on judicial integrity and efficiency as critical components of national development.
