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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Law experts who participated in the maiden conference of all Law Reform Commissions in Nigeria have called for further reforms of Nigeria’s legislative lists, including a review of the Exclusive Legislative List in favour of the states, stronger local government autonomy, fiscal federalism and full judicial federalism.
They also urged state governments to establish mechanisms to ensure that increased allocations to local governments are properly utilised for basic infrastructure, healthcare, shelter and other essential services
Besides, the participants called for reforms to establish time frames for the conclusion of court cases without compromising the constitutional right to fair hearing.
They also urged the government to prioritise clarity in legislative drafting to eliminate ambiguity and reduce the scope for corrupt interpretation of statutes.
These were among the resolutions contained in a communiqué jointly signed by the Chairman, Drafting Committee, Prof Nathaniel Inegbedion, Chairman, Edo State Law Reform Commission, Hon Osikhena Donald and Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Roland Otaru (SAN), and made available to newsmen at the end of the two-day conference, hosted by the Edo State Law Reform Commission at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy, Benin City.
The conference was held under the theme, “Consolidating Nigeria’s Democracy through Law Reform: Charting the Way Forward.”
The conference further called for comprehensive reforms of the justice sector to facilitate electronic filing, virtual court proceedings and other technology-driven judicial processes aimed at improving efficiency and access to justice.
It noted that prolonged litigation and delays in criminal prosecution undermine the administration of justice, while lengthy pre-election and post-election disputes create political uncertainty.
In the fight against corruption, the participants advocated a more robust approach that goes beyond high-profile arrests and public trials to include effective legal and institutional mechanisms for prevention, detection and accountability.
They stressed the need for stronger institutions and improved legal frameworks to address corruption and strengthen public confidence in governance.
The conference also called for the establishment of a coherent intelligence-sharing system to tackle insecurity and urged the government to ensure that measures taken in the interest of national security remain subject to judicial scrutiny.
It emphasised the need to strike a balance between national security and the protection of fundamental human rights, while advocating reforms to police investigations in line with international best practices.
The conference observed that inadequate funding, obsolete laws and the failure of government institutions to implement law reform commission reports remained major challenges to democratic consolidation.
It called for adequate funding and staffing of the commissions, continuous capacity building, modern information and communication technology infrastructure, and a legal framework requiring the legislative and executive arms of government to consider and implement their recommendations within a stipulated period.
Participants also advocated a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s tertiary education curriculum to reflect developments in artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging technologies.
At the end of the conference, the Chairman of the Edo State Law Reform Commission, Hon. Osikhena-Boih Donald, was appointed Protem Chairman of the Forum of State Law Reform Commissions in Nigeria.
The participants commended the Edo State Government and the commission for hosting the inaugural gathering, which brought together judicial officers, legislators, law reform commissioners, legal practitioners, academics, security officials, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to deliberate on strengthening Nigeria’s democracy through law reform.
