Judge Transfers and their Adverse Impacts on Justice Delivery

This is a report of a study conducted by Access to Justice of two courts in Nigeria, namely: the Federal High Court and the National Industrial Court, to investigate the practice and modes of transferring judges from one judicial division to another and the problems associated with those transfers.    Read More

Making Judicial Appointments Reform Work

How the National Judicial Council can Improve Implementation of its Judicial Appointment Guidelines

This publication examines the gaps in the implementation by Judicial Service Commissions of the Extant Revised National Judicial Council (NJC) Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the Appointment of Judicial Officers of all Superior Courts of Record in Nigeria and canvasses reforms that would help bridge those gaps and improve the procedures for the appointment of judicial officers in Nigeria.    Read More

Model Guidelines And Procedural Rules On Judicial Appointment And Discipline For Lower Courts

Access to Justice has maintained a keen, abiding interest in reforming procedures of judicial appointment and discipline in Nigeria given the very important role these processes play in building the Judiciary’s strength and character.

In recent years, substantial reforms have been made to the systems for the appointment and discipline of judicial officers of the superior courts. However, these reforms are yet to be replicated by the judicial service commissions/committees as the inferior courts of record do not possess the structured framework and systems for accountability which exist for the appointment and discipline of the judicial officers of superior courts.    Read More

How the National Judicial Council Can Improve Enforcement of its Judicial Appointment Guidelines1 (Part 1)

“The quality of justice depends more on the quality of the men who administer the law than on the content of the law they administer. Unless those appointed to the bench are competent and upright and free to judge without fear or favor, a judicial system, however sound its structure may be on paper, is bound to perform poorly in practice” Schwartz

Introduction

On the 3rd of November 2014, the NJC made new rules governing the process for appointing judges of superior courts of Nigeria titled: The Extant Revised NJC Guidelines & Procedural Rules for The Appointment of Judicial Officers of All Superior Courts of Record in Nigeria (hereafter “The Guidelines”). The Guidelines are made up of six Rules.    Read More

Group to EFCC: Don’t be a Political Tool

A human rights group, the Access to Justice (A2Justice), has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to resist being used as a political tool. It said deploying the agency as a tool against political opponents would further erode its integrity..    Read More

How to Overhaul SARS, by Groups

Two groups, the Access to Justice (A2Justice) and the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), have faulted the measures taken by the Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris to overhaul the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). They said the reform measures appeared to be a kneejerk reaction, which they described as “cosmetic”.    Read More

Otteh: Blame Judiciary, not FG for Disobedience to Court Order

Mr. Joseph Otteh is the Executive Director, Access to Justice. In this interview with JOHN CHIKEZIE, he speaks on the flagrant disobedience to court orders by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, Imo NBA protest against police brutality, 2019 elections, vote-buying and sundry issues.    Read More

The CJN’s Lament On Political Interference With Judicial Appointments Is Fair But The Judiciary Must Take A Greater Share Of The Blame For It.

At the just concluded Lagos State Judiciary’s first Bi-annual Lecture, themed “Judicial Standards, Integrity, Respect and Public Perception: A Comparative Analysis from Independence in 1960 into the Present Millennium”. The Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen, (ably represented by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour), among other issues,    Read More

Government Must Stop this Treacherous, Vile and Shameful Travesty

Charge those who Summarily Killed More than 348 People for murder and not the Victims of the Murderous Campaigns    Read More

Background