Abubakar Malami, the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, has said he would do whatever it takes to make the forthcoming Justice Sector Summit 2022 a success.
Malami made the commitment while receiving the members of the Justice Sector Summit 2022 planning committee who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.
He encouraged the organisers to identify the problems in the justice sector and seek implementable solutions to these challenges.
The summit, scheduled to hold in Abuja on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, is being organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Justice Research Institute in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Justice Reform Project.
The attorney general speaking on judicial appointments and promotions said the summit would do well to focus on how to create an institutionalised means of appointing judicial officers.
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He stressed the need to ensure accountability and transparency in the management of the resources of the judiciary and expressed hope that the summit would pay attention to that.
The minister of justice, who is one of the confirmed speakers at the summit, said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has developed some innovations to deal with delays in the judicial system, such as the requirement to front-load evidence and testimony in cases, limitation laws in election-related cases, among others.
He noted, however, that there were challenges in the resolution of disputes arising from commercial and economic disputes and hoped the summit would come up with solutions in that regard.
The AGF said he does not expect the summit to be just about recommendations but one that would come up with clear-cut solutions dealing with the crisis in the justice sector, such as Executive Orders being signed into law, constitutional amendments where necessary, and issuance of practice directions where needed.
The forthcoming summit has the theme “Devising Practical Solutions Towards Improved Performance, Enhanced Accountability, and Independence in the Justice Sector.”
Dignitaries expected to grace the summit are Yemi Osinbajo, the vice president of Nigeria, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, the Senate President, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Federal House of Representatives Speaker, alongside Malami, as special guests, while Hon. Justice Peter Affen, Justice of the Court of Appeal, will deliver the keynote address.
