Justice Delayed: When The Court Becomes A Waiting Room

Introduction

 In Nigeria, the courtroom has progressively become a backlog waiting area. Of over 80,000 inmates across the country, more than 50,000 are awaiting trial,² with a high probability that there could be ‘innocent’ ones amongst them. Yet, the crisis of delay is not confined to criminal justice alone.

Considering civil and commercial litigation, there are cases such as Amadi v. NNPC³ that has revealed how interlocutory applications and preliminary objections can significantly delay litigation for years, before the substantive matter is heard and determined.⁴

Also, in electoral matters, as seen in Amaechi v. INEC,⁵ justice is seen to be frequently overtaken by political realities.  The case was decided only after the INEC office had already been occupied, which clearly defeated the purpose of instituting the matter in the first instance.