The senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Senator Natasha H Akpoti-Uduaghan on Tuesday joined the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio at an event organized by the National Judicial Commission (NJC) on judicial reform.
The Senate President, who delivered a paper on ‘Preventing Corruption and Breaches of Integrity in the Justice Sector: The Role of the Legislator,’ highlighted key recommendations for an enhanced judicial system.
The highly powered event was graced by top government officials, including Supreme Court judges, Appeal Court judges, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, among others.
Highlighting the commitment of the 10th Assembly to collaborate with the executive in supporting the judiciary, the Senate President emphasized the intentional efforts aimed at supporting the judicial arm of government.
In addressing the need for a conscious judicial self-audit, the Senate President noted that self-reflection should be the bane of judicial consciousness.
Key recommendations made for enhancing the efficiency of the justice system include:
“Legislative intervention to limit the time of cases.
“The need to consider alternative dispute resolutions for land and matrimonial matters to unburden the supreme courts.”
The Senate leader also recommended that pre-election matters should be handled by the political parties to lighten the burden of courts.
Others include the need for the appointment of more Supreme Court justices and enhanced judicial officers’ welfare for sustained dedication and excellence.
In her contribution, Senator Natasha challenged the three arms of government to consider shortening the judicial processes of electoral petitions. She added that this would enable all cases to be completed before a change of government, allowing legislators to resume on the same day.
