The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday, decried what he described as the “terribly slow pace” of justice administration in the Nigerian courts.

Buhari, who recalled how it took so long for the courts to decide and eventually dismiss the election petitions he filed to challenge his losses in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 presidential polls, declared that the Nigerian justice system needed an urgent reform.
He suggested that the judiciary should put a 12-month time limit on the hearing of criminal cases from the high court to the Supreme Court, while all civil cases should be concluded within 15 months.

Buhari spoke at the 60th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, with the theme, “Stepping Forward.”

His speech was read at the virtual conference by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN).

Speaking about his experience, Buhari said, “At the end, I lost all three cases. I wondered then, why it needed to take so long to arrive at a verdict and if I had won the case, someone who did not legitimately win the election would have been in office all that time.

In 2019, I was no longer petitioner; I had now become a respondent in the case of Atiku and Buhari and the whole process took barely six months; just over six months. What was the difference? The law had changed since my own in 2003, 2007 and 2011. You had now introduced time limits for election petitions. Everything must be done within a six to eight-month period. My question then is why can’t we have a time limit for criminal cases? Why can’t we have a rule that will say a criminal trial all the way to the Supreme Court must not exceed 12 months? And why can’t we do the same for civil cases? Even if we say that civil cases must not go beyond between 12 and 15 months. I think that for me is stepping forward.”

The president equally lamented the churning out of multiple and conflicting court orders by judges, noting that in the recent leadership crisis that rocked the ruling All Progressives Congress, no fewer than eight conflicting court orders were made by different judges in a space of six weeks.

Buhari also proposed a reform of the process of judges’ appointment, recommending that aspiring judges should take tests.

realstars:
Plans For Criminals

olaric:
I hear you Mr President; but this your idea may not allow for thorough processing of such cases.

Officialgarri:

So the proposal is a bad idea again?

Even if Buhari single handedly alleviate you from poverty, you will ask him why he can't let you suffer in peace.

Well, your constant hate is what gives us reason to keep loving him

braveboy64:
We are getting there,

GOD BLESS NIGERIA

olaric:
I hear you Mr President; but this your idea may not allow for thorough processing of such cases.

LadySarah:
The judges know! Stall it until it's forgotten or give room for the highest bidder to arrange the bribe.

Racoon:
Mr.President seems to have forgotten that his govt of impunity & lawlessness both as military and civilian dictator has set the judiciary backward that judges mostly have to first look @ the powers that be before dispensing justice or give conflicting judgement.

Can he recall the illegal invasion of revered supreme court judges houses in the night by the DSS in the name of fighting corruption? Many of them were acquitted.
What about the illegality involved in disposing the former CJN-Justice Onneghen & enthronement of Tanko even it's know that the latter was corrupt? 

What about the senseless "national security supersedes the rule of law" statement? What about coercion of the judiciary to manipulate & win elections as the courts now decide winners of elections in Nigeria?

This is all because of the bastardization of our electoral and democratic processes hence administration of criminal justice is very slow.Abeg make we hear word.