LAWYERS SAY LAGOS STATE’s JUSTICE DISPENSATION PROCESS FLIPS BACK TO OLD DAYS OF GO-SLOW

Some years ago when the Lagos State Government embarked on a reform process to transform the judicial processes in the State from slow pace of justice dispensation especially in civil and business matters by introducing the fast track route to the dispensation of justice, many across the nation applauded the initiative. The Lagos State new model of judicial process became the standard to be copied. And in truth, we got it on good source that the government of Osun State, indeed, copied the model to the last letters.

 

However, a recent review of the judicial process in Lagos State by some legal experts indicated that there has been recidivism to the go-slow days when legal issues took years to be concluded by the State’s judiciary.

 

 This reversion to the tradition of the old days, according to stakeholders in the legal profession in Lagos State, is not unconnected to the large scale employment of judges in the State judiciary whose only claim to judicial excellence is their connection to influential politicians and office holders in the State.

 

A source confided in FORTUNE & CLASS Weekly that all manners of individuals with a claim to a degree in law are finding their ways on to the bench, yet these lacked the prerequisite of distinguished legal practice and commitment to the nuances of the bench.

 

The story is said of the daughter of a political big wig in the State who was appointed a judge and assigned a court to administer but only ended up supervising the information technology department even though she is not a qualified ICT professional.

 

It is also said of another that had long been engaged in business as cloth seller but was employed to the bench on account of her connection to another political big wig.

 

These and many other misaligned employments to the bench had turned the State’s judiciary to a snarling, labourous justice dispensation platform. Even now, some lawyers are saying that Osun State government that borrowed the nimble fast track model from Lagos State has greatly enhanced its justice dispensation process compared to what obtains in Lagos State.