For over a month now, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria
has been on strike. This has caused a complete
closure of all courts throughout the country.
Unfortunately, this means that an already overburdened
judicial system will be placed under further pressure when
operations resume. There is currently no indication as to when the
courts will re-open. Due to
limited resources and a lack of funding, virtual
hearings are, at this stage, not a viable option in Nigeria.
However, in limited instances, certain judges have been delivering
judgments virtually. That being said,
these instances are few and far between.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, met with the
Minister of Labour and Employment on 18 May 2021 and urged members
of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria to end the strike. The
Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria is demanding that the judiciary
gain financial independence from the
executive and has repeatedly relayed that the
strike will not end