Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef O. Fagbemi, SAN, has addressed the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference on Tuesday, outlining the government’s efforts to reform the justice sector.
Fagbemi highlighted key initiatives, including the National Summit on Justice 2024, aimed at improving access, transparency, and efficiency in the justice system.
According to the Minister, “Ever since I was appointed to this high office just over a year ago, I have focused, in the main, on fashioning out a clear strategy to reposition and strengthen the justice sector for improved access, transparency and efficiency.
“Some of these include developing policy-driven commitments to reform the justice sector, which culminated in the National Summit on Justice, 2024.
“The Summit provided a veritable platform for critically analyzing, reviewing, and proffering solutions to issues affecting the administration of justice in our country.”
He emphasized the government’s commitment to anti-corruption, citing the extension of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) and collaboration with foreign allies to recover stolen assets.
The minister said, “In the area of anti-corruption, the Ministry is playing a key role in supporting and coordinating efforts of our anti-corruption agencies, in the area of prosecution and recovery of proceeds of crime.
“The anti-corruption stance of the Federal Government is adequately captured in the Presidential focus to ensure “Fairer and Safer Playing Field”. One major positive development in the anti-corruption agenda is the extension of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS).”
The Attorney-General also stressed the importance of sub national governments’ buy-in and domestication of anti-corruption measures.
He noted the Ministry’s engagement with State Attorneys-General, the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, and the General Council of the Bar to cascade federal policy objectives to the sub national level.
Fagbemi discussed efforts to enhance respect for the rule of law and enforcement of court judgments, including engagement with security agencies and development of an appeal policy for public sector institutions.
He concluded by emphasizing the partnership between the public and private bar in reforming the justice sector, inviting comments, questions, and recommendations from attendees.
The conference, held at Eko Hotel, Lagos, provided a platform for legal professionals and stakeholders to interact and share ideas on justice sector reforms.
