Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN,
has described the cost of justice in the country as outrageous, saying
that such exorbitant fees had shut the poor out of the justice system.
Falana also described the development as unfortunate as according to him, the judiciary was no longer the last hope of the common man in Nigeria.
Falana, spoke weekend while delivering a lecture during the launch of the Annual Law Journal of the Law Students’ Society, University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The lecture was in honour of Mrs. Folake Solanke, the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, in the country.
The lecture was entitled: “The Anti-Corruption War in the Nigerian Judiciary: How Far? How Well?” He noted that apart from the fact that the common man was economically disabled from having a field day in court, the constitution, also ousted the jurisdiction of the court to adjudicate on the provisions of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principle of State Policy which have guaranteed the socio-economic rights of the Nigerian people.
“No doubt, the judiciary has contributed to the protection of political and civil rights, but as such rights are meaningless to the majority of the poor disadvantaged citizens, the courts should use their judicial powers to defend and promote socio-economic rights,” he said.
He, however, challenged Nigerian judges to emulate their Indian counterparts, by making socio-economic rights justifiable through judicial activism.
Falana also described the development as unfortunate as according to him, the judiciary was no longer the last hope of the common man in Nigeria.
Falana, spoke weekend while delivering a lecture during the launch of the Annual Law Journal of the Law Students’ Society, University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The lecture was in honour of Mrs. Folake Solanke, the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, in the country.
The lecture was entitled: “The Anti-Corruption War in the Nigerian Judiciary: How Far? How Well?” He noted that apart from the fact that the common man was economically disabled from having a field day in court, the constitution, also ousted the jurisdiction of the court to adjudicate on the provisions of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principle of State Policy which have guaranteed the socio-economic rights of the Nigerian people.
“No doubt, the judiciary has contributed to the protection of political and civil rights, but as such rights are meaningless to the majority of the poor disadvantaged citizens, the courts should use their judicial powers to defend and promote socio-economic rights,” he said.
He, however, challenged Nigerian judges to emulate their Indian counterparts, by making socio-economic rights justifiable through judicial activism.
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