A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mrs Funke Aboyade, has called on the National Assembly to fast track the passage of the justice sector reform bills, stressing that the criminal justice system was at breaking point.
Aboyade said that corruption was major challenge in the judiciary, adding that the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, confronted the issue headlong.
Speaking with Vanguard Law and Human Rights, in Lagos, she stated: “ Our criminal justice system is at breaking point. Happily, the situation is not for lack of not knowing what to do. There are presently several justice sector reform bills before our National Assembly. Our legislators should be encouraged to fast track the passage of those bills before we fully enter the season of politics. The senior advocate pointed out that ethics and discipline at the bar poses a serious threat to the legal system, noting that the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and the Body of Benchers must stand firm to apply effective sanctions against offenders to deter others.
“Colleagues in legal practice need to brace up for the challenges of globalisation of legal practice which is not only on our doorsteps but is alive and kicking on our shores. Playing the ostrich in the sand will not help us. The challenge is: what do we do? We also must improve ourselves and acquire new legal skills continuously if we hope to even be serious players not just globally but internationally,” she added.
